Coming home is totally different now than when I was still in college. Now when I come home it's not so much an event, and it usually takes place in the middle of the week. And as a result, I get to sit around my mom's house and watch lots of TV and fumble about the internet.
I am also allergic to California, so I sneeze a lot. I sneeze in the middle of my sleep, which I never do in Portland. And my sneezes are real big, so big I almost threw myself off the couch earlier.
My grandparents are pretty funny. They are packing up their lives into boxes and crates at the moment because in about a month they are moving out of the home they've had for 50+ years and moving into an assisted living facility type apartment complex. Yesterday my mom and I went over to help bring over some things and sort through others. The two are not related; the funny factor and the moving factor. My grandparents are a couple that have been together since the 1950s and I like to watch them interact. I cannot describe it better than they are pretty funny.
I didn't realize the my family collects Christmas creches (nativity scenes) until we went over to help my granma sort through some cupboards in the rumpus room of their house. I wonder if that means that I will carry on the tradition of finding creches and collecting them.
The only bummer about coming home is when no one is around, like most of the work week. My mom is at work and my brother is at work/school. I don't really have access to go visit people if I want to since there are only two cars in residence. I guess I don't really need to go anywhere. I feel a bit useless since I'm so allergic to dust and the State of California that all I can honestly do is sit around and try not to stir the allergens.
Seriously, I cannot stay in the Bay Area for more than a few days or I might lose my voice completely, sneeze myself into a wall, or blow my nose so much I end up without a nose. I find it sad that I can never really come home because of a silly little thing like allergies. Is it pathetic to not be able to do so? And why did I not find this out until I moved to Portland? There is clearly something really gross in the air in California for my eyes to itch so much I rub them like mad during my sleep.
I'm going to miss the old house my grandparents are moving out of. Things look so different without furniture in there. The dining room looks a lot smaller without the whole family around the table for a holiday feast, though it has been quite a few years since a holiday feast has been hosted in that room. And the house looks so different now that they are landscaping the perimeter to sell. I will miss that house, and the memories associated with it.
Did you know sneezing makes you sleepy?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Advice from an airline employee
1. Definitely get to the airport at least one hour prior to your flight time. You'll be happy you did.
2. Book directly from the airline. Shop around on other websites if you wish, but then go to whichever airline you want to fly.
3. Booking from a third party website (i.e., Travelocity, Expedia) only leads to headaches. They lie about guarantee-ing you a window or aisle seat; they make it difficult to change flights or do anything; and they are not always the cheapest airfare.
4. Have a valid form of ID. And have it ready at the ticket counter.
5. Bring your itinerary, just in case.
6. Dress in layers. Airports and airplanes are cool; your destination may be warm; you can never predict if you're going to be too cold or too hot.
7. Every airport is different, so not every airport features the same things (i.e., curbside check-in, post office, bag drops). Do not expect the same service at every airport.
8. Do be nice to the people working at the airport. There is no need to get belligerent when things go awry. Sometimes if you're nice to people working at the airport they are really nice back.
9. Always purchase your beverages after proceeding through the security checkpoint. It'd be a bummer to dump that $5.00 latte you just bought because you can't bring liquids through with you.
10. If you are bringing something out of the ordinary or require a service that you're not sure about, you should call the airline. Don't be shy; it's OK. Better to be a well-informed traveler than finding out at the last minute that a bag weighing over 50 pounds cost extra money.
11. A flight may leave at a certain time, but the door to the aircraft will close ten minutes prior to that departure time, at which point it cannot be opened until it lands at its destination. You need to make sure you are there before that door closes.
12. Take personal responsibility. Do not blame the traffic for your late arrival at the airport. Do not blame us that you showed up late. It's not our fault you didn't plan accordingly. It's the cold, hard truth. Hey, the other 100+ people made it in time for the flight.
13. We like to give out wings. It brightens people's day.
14. We may help you with your bag, but we can't do all the work for you.
15. Airports and airlines have their bad days, too. That's what you get when you throw a bunch of different factors into an equation. But we will get you to your destination... somehow... sometime.
2. Book directly from the airline. Shop around on other websites if you wish, but then go to whichever airline you want to fly.
3. Booking from a third party website (i.e., Travelocity, Expedia) only leads to headaches. They lie about guarantee-ing you a window or aisle seat; they make it difficult to change flights or do anything; and they are not always the cheapest airfare.
4. Have a valid form of ID. And have it ready at the ticket counter.
5. Bring your itinerary, just in case.
6. Dress in layers. Airports and airplanes are cool; your destination may be warm; you can never predict if you're going to be too cold or too hot.
7. Every airport is different, so not every airport features the same things (i.e., curbside check-in, post office, bag drops). Do not expect the same service at every airport.
8. Do be nice to the people working at the airport. There is no need to get belligerent when things go awry. Sometimes if you're nice to people working at the airport they are really nice back.
9. Always purchase your beverages after proceeding through the security checkpoint. It'd be a bummer to dump that $5.00 latte you just bought because you can't bring liquids through with you.
10. If you are bringing something out of the ordinary or require a service that you're not sure about, you should call the airline. Don't be shy; it's OK. Better to be a well-informed traveler than finding out at the last minute that a bag weighing over 50 pounds cost extra money.
11. A flight may leave at a certain time, but the door to the aircraft will close ten minutes prior to that departure time, at which point it cannot be opened until it lands at its destination. You need to make sure you are there before that door closes.
12. Take personal responsibility. Do not blame the traffic for your late arrival at the airport. Do not blame us that you showed up late. It's not our fault you didn't plan accordingly. It's the cold, hard truth. Hey, the other 100+ people made it in time for the flight.
13. We like to give out wings. It brightens people's day.
14. We may help you with your bag, but we can't do all the work for you.
15. Airports and airlines have their bad days, too. That's what you get when you throw a bunch of different factors into an equation. But we will get you to your destination... somehow... sometime.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
We celebrate Columbus Day?
I didn't even realize there was a national holiday coming up until I walked by the bank in the airport that advertised being closed on Monday. Why Monday? What's going on that allows for them to close? It's Columbus Day? Uh...
I don't even know what people do to celebrate Columbus Day other than take the day off. Is there some sort of event I should be attending? Do I need to research the origins of Mr. Columbus to know what to do? We don't even know the dude's true nationality - hey, even us Ports have claim to the man.
I understand the general idea about Columbus Day: the "New World" was discovered by accident, but if it wasn't then we wouldn't be here and blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong- love the history behind it all, but my family is relatively new to this country. I'm a first generation on my dad's side, and my mom's family has been here for only about a century (I guess that's a long time). But none of my family has ties to the originating discoverers, unless somehow I'm related to Cristobo or Christopher or whatever you'd like to call him.
And homie found this land by accident! We're celebrating a booboo, folks. I bet we would have bumped into this place a while later. I mean, it's pretty darn big to not run into eventually.
But honestly, what do we DO to celebrate Columbus Day? I think in school we learned about the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, perhaps even coloring in drawings of the ships. We might have made funny hats we thought resembled those worn by Columbus and his crew.
Should we do more? Should we do less? Should we really give bank employees the day off? Not that I don't like a good celebration, but it's one of those holidays that never really got a great footing in American culture other than having it printed on calendars every year. In fact, I'd be more excited to celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving Day, as it appears to be the same day as Columbus Day. Makes sense; Columbus Day is another reminder that we "found" a place already inhabited by many peoples, to which we are grateful.
No, but seriously, what does a person DO on Columbus Day? Would it be wrong to go look for Halloween costume parts? To take advantage of Columbus Day sales at the mall? Go on with my life as if it were just another day? It's not like there is a moment of silence we hold during Columbus Day... or is there and no one told me? I wouldn't be surprised if no one told me.
And why do only banks and some other select businesses close on Columbus Day? Why isn't there more consistency about how we handle the whole thing? I think I need to go back to fifth grade, - or was it sixth? - and refresh my memory on what the issues of this day are, what I should do to commemorate it, and how to be a better supporter of Columbus Day overall. I mean, I don't think I've ever celebrated Columbus Day other than a special shopping trip to see the sales. In all honestly I forget it exists until I hear someone mention it on TV or the radio or in passing. Should we call it something else? Perhaps Land-ho Day? I see too many jokes arising from that name. Perhaps New Land Day?
Hmm. Just don't know what to do with this information. Maybe I'll practice my Spanish, as that is another possible origin of Colombo. Or maybe he was Italian? French? No one knows! Oh, there are some football games on tomorrow - can't get more celebratory than that!
I don't even know what people do to celebrate Columbus Day other than take the day off. Is there some sort of event I should be attending? Do I need to research the origins of Mr. Columbus to know what to do? We don't even know the dude's true nationality - hey, even us Ports have claim to the man.
I understand the general idea about Columbus Day: the "New World" was discovered by accident, but if it wasn't then we wouldn't be here and blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong- love the history behind it all, but my family is relatively new to this country. I'm a first generation on my dad's side, and my mom's family has been here for only about a century (I guess that's a long time). But none of my family has ties to the originating discoverers, unless somehow I'm related to Cristobo or Christopher or whatever you'd like to call him.
And homie found this land by accident! We're celebrating a booboo, folks. I bet we would have bumped into this place a while later. I mean, it's pretty darn big to not run into eventually.
But honestly, what do we DO to celebrate Columbus Day? I think in school we learned about the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, perhaps even coloring in drawings of the ships. We might have made funny hats we thought resembled those worn by Columbus and his crew.
Should we do more? Should we do less? Should we really give bank employees the day off? Not that I don't like a good celebration, but it's one of those holidays that never really got a great footing in American culture other than having it printed on calendars every year. In fact, I'd be more excited to celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving Day, as it appears to be the same day as Columbus Day. Makes sense; Columbus Day is another reminder that we "found" a place already inhabited by many peoples, to which we are grateful.
No, but seriously, what does a person DO on Columbus Day? Would it be wrong to go look for Halloween costume parts? To take advantage of Columbus Day sales at the mall? Go on with my life as if it were just another day? It's not like there is a moment of silence we hold during Columbus Day... or is there and no one told me? I wouldn't be surprised if no one told me.
And why do only banks and some other select businesses close on Columbus Day? Why isn't there more consistency about how we handle the whole thing? I think I need to go back to fifth grade, - or was it sixth? - and refresh my memory on what the issues of this day are, what I should do to commemorate it, and how to be a better supporter of Columbus Day overall. I mean, I don't think I've ever celebrated Columbus Day other than a special shopping trip to see the sales. In all honestly I forget it exists until I hear someone mention it on TV or the radio or in passing. Should we call it something else? Perhaps Land-ho Day? I see too many jokes arising from that name. Perhaps New Land Day?
Hmm. Just don't know what to do with this information. Maybe I'll practice my Spanish, as that is another possible origin of Colombo. Or maybe he was Italian? French? No one knows! Oh, there are some football games on tomorrow - can't get more celebratory than that!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A movie review: Life As We Know It
Yay! After a couple of misses, Katherine Heigl has a hit on her hands! "Life As We Know It" is definitely a win in my book.
Yes, it's predictable, as most rom-coms are these days, but it was much better than I had expected. I like to think casting Heigl opposite Josh Duhamel had something to do with it, as did the oh-so-adorable triplets that played the baby in the film, and a funny group of supporting players.
The premise of the movie: Holly (Heigl) and Messer (Duhamel) are best friends to a married couple, as well as godparents to their infant daughter. The two send clever quips back and forth at family occasions, make jokes at each others' expense, and instigate trouble whenever the other is around. Tragically, their best friends and parents to the baby girl die in a car accident, leaving little Sophie to be raised by Holly and Messer. Insert all the comedy you can imagine from two people that appear to despise each other forced to live together and raise a child together.
I think what makes this movie good is the chemistry between Heigl and Duhamel. I don't know why it took so long to find a suitable acting partner for Miss Katie, but the casting directors on this one nailed it. Unlike the communication major that I am I wasn't paying attention to who did the casting. I bet I could IMDb it if I put a little effort in to my review. It is also a reflection of the grief and stress and frustration of the situation for these two adults. They are challenged to take care of a baby and live together in a matter of minutes, and the movie follows them on their path to building a relationship and learning how to be a family and how they continue with their lives after the tragedy of losing their best friends.
The supporting cast was also pretty entertaining. You see them on TV and in other movies and think, wow this person is funny, but you don't ever know his or her name. For example, the woman that played Loralei's best friend on Gilmore Girls, she was in it. And a few other familiar faces, but even know I'm having a hard time placing them in the other TV show or movie I remember seeing them in. The neighbors who comment on the steamy sexiness of Messer and the sadness that is Holly who bakes but has no ring on it. The neurotic social worker that comes to visit at the most inconvenient times. The taxi driver/baby sitter (enough said).
Listen, the movie is not Oscar quality; I don't know of one rom-com in the last year or two that would qualify in that category. It is entertaining. It is funny - I snorted a couple of times and the man next to me gave me a strange look. And there were tears because it's very sad when a child is left without both parents. But if you are looking for a movie to enjoy on these cold days of autumn I recommend "Life As We Know It."
Yes, it's predictable, as most rom-coms are these days, but it was much better than I had expected. I like to think casting Heigl opposite Josh Duhamel had something to do with it, as did the oh-so-adorable triplets that played the baby in the film, and a funny group of supporting players.
The premise of the movie: Holly (Heigl) and Messer (Duhamel) are best friends to a married couple, as well as godparents to their infant daughter. The two send clever quips back and forth at family occasions, make jokes at each others' expense, and instigate trouble whenever the other is around. Tragically, their best friends and parents to the baby girl die in a car accident, leaving little Sophie to be raised by Holly and Messer. Insert all the comedy you can imagine from two people that appear to despise each other forced to live together and raise a child together.
I think what makes this movie good is the chemistry between Heigl and Duhamel. I don't know why it took so long to find a suitable acting partner for Miss Katie, but the casting directors on this one nailed it. Unlike the communication major that I am I wasn't paying attention to who did the casting. I bet I could IMDb it if I put a little effort in to my review. It is also a reflection of the grief and stress and frustration of the situation for these two adults. They are challenged to take care of a baby and live together in a matter of minutes, and the movie follows them on their path to building a relationship and learning how to be a family and how they continue with their lives after the tragedy of losing their best friends.
The supporting cast was also pretty entertaining. You see them on TV and in other movies and think, wow this person is funny, but you don't ever know his or her name. For example, the woman that played Loralei's best friend on Gilmore Girls, she was in it. And a few other familiar faces, but even know I'm having a hard time placing them in the other TV show or movie I remember seeing them in. The neighbors who comment on the steamy sexiness of Messer and the sadness that is Holly who bakes but has no ring on it. The neurotic social worker that comes to visit at the most inconvenient times. The taxi driver/baby sitter (enough said).
Listen, the movie is not Oscar quality; I don't know of one rom-com in the last year or two that would qualify in that category. It is entertaining. It is funny - I snorted a couple of times and the man next to me gave me a strange look. And there were tears because it's very sad when a child is left without both parents. But if you are looking for a movie to enjoy on these cold days of autumn I recommend "Life As We Know It."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Conversations with real Army wives
I recently visited a friend in Tennessee. I went to help with whatever I could and provide her entertainment as she enters her eighth month of pregnancy. She is married to an Army helicopter pilot who is overseas at the moment. He was off-base running missions in the middle of nowhere, and in November he is coming back to Tennessee to be present for the birth of their first child. He will have to return to Afghanistan after the birth.
Every night we had dinner with a few of the other Army wives, their husbands in various stages of deployment.
One was waiting for her husband to come home in a couple of days for his R&R (rest and recuperation), a fact she did not share with her two small children because she wanted to make sure he was actually state-side before getting their hopes up.
One just had a baby five months ago. I'm not sure when her husband was last home, but as with the other wives, she will not see him again until February when he is scheduled to return stateside.
One had spent the last two weeks with her husband and their 1-year-old. My last evening there was my first time meeting her, and she got teary-eyed when the other wives asked how she was doing. For two weeks she spent time with the men of her life, her husband and her son, and now she would have to wait until the beginning of next year to see her husband again. She spends most of her time back home in Chicago while her husband is overseas.
The last wife just bought a new house with her husband, who is not scheduled to deploy until the end of the year. She just got a new promotion on the same day she was planning on quitting because she didn't get to spend enough time with her husband.
These women are extraordinary. All with different personalities, all dealing with the same rotten situation, all sharing the same emotions. It was fascinating to hear them talk about their feelings, their worries, the thoughts that run through their minds. They've created their own support system, beyond that of their own families, because they are all experiencing the same thing. They meet each night for dinner, rotating chefs for every meal, as well as staying in communication throughout the day.
They shared the frustrations they have with family who don't understand the position they are in. They talked about the fear that they will be "that widow" that everyone talks about. They gossiped about some of the other wives who complain on the internet and spread rumors and instigate controversy. They discussed the things their husbands tell them, and the things they know their husbands don't. The traded knowledge about raising their infants, things they came across as their babies got older. They helped each other with problems or answered questions another wife had. They talked about religion, and how life is not up to them to decide. They talked about talking with their husbands, who, though overseas, work very hard at calling and emailing and text messaging their wives and families to let them know they are OK. They discussed what it is to feel the anxiety of learning of a loss in the platoon and not knowing who it is, and trying to get as much information as possible from the few sources that report it, and the looming threat of the military vehicle that could arrive at their doorstep at any time of day with heartbreaking news. They expressed frustration with people who did not understand their lifestyle. They remembered what life was like in the other states their husbands were stationed in, and how different each place was. They listened.
The camaraderie among these very different women was so strong, and though the conversations they have are of a serious nature, but they share their stories and information in a way that is more comforting than worrying. For them to let me sit in and share a few meals with them was a great honor. For me to learn more about their lives and experiences was a great eye opener.
There are some things you talk about with a person who has a loved one in the military, and there are some things you don't. These women will only talk about the "don't" stuff with each other, people who know what it's like, people who can reassure them it will be all right once their husbands return. They don't think about the work their husbands are doing. They look forward to the day they can see their husbands faces and hold their husbands for a good long while. And they all work together to help each other get through it.
Every night we had dinner with a few of the other Army wives, their husbands in various stages of deployment.
One was waiting for her husband to come home in a couple of days for his R&R (rest and recuperation), a fact she did not share with her two small children because she wanted to make sure he was actually state-side before getting their hopes up.
One just had a baby five months ago. I'm not sure when her husband was last home, but as with the other wives, she will not see him again until February when he is scheduled to return stateside.
One had spent the last two weeks with her husband and their 1-year-old. My last evening there was my first time meeting her, and she got teary-eyed when the other wives asked how she was doing. For two weeks she spent time with the men of her life, her husband and her son, and now she would have to wait until the beginning of next year to see her husband again. She spends most of her time back home in Chicago while her husband is overseas.
The last wife just bought a new house with her husband, who is not scheduled to deploy until the end of the year. She just got a new promotion on the same day she was planning on quitting because she didn't get to spend enough time with her husband.
These women are extraordinary. All with different personalities, all dealing with the same rotten situation, all sharing the same emotions. It was fascinating to hear them talk about their feelings, their worries, the thoughts that run through their minds. They've created their own support system, beyond that of their own families, because they are all experiencing the same thing. They meet each night for dinner, rotating chefs for every meal, as well as staying in communication throughout the day.
They shared the frustrations they have with family who don't understand the position they are in. They talked about the fear that they will be "that widow" that everyone talks about. They gossiped about some of the other wives who complain on the internet and spread rumors and instigate controversy. They discussed the things their husbands tell them, and the things they know their husbands don't. The traded knowledge about raising their infants, things they came across as their babies got older. They helped each other with problems or answered questions another wife had. They talked about religion, and how life is not up to them to decide. They talked about talking with their husbands, who, though overseas, work very hard at calling and emailing and text messaging their wives and families to let them know they are OK. They discussed what it is to feel the anxiety of learning of a loss in the platoon and not knowing who it is, and trying to get as much information as possible from the few sources that report it, and the looming threat of the military vehicle that could arrive at their doorstep at any time of day with heartbreaking news. They expressed frustration with people who did not understand their lifestyle. They remembered what life was like in the other states their husbands were stationed in, and how different each place was. They listened.
The camaraderie among these very different women was so strong, and though the conversations they have are of a serious nature, but they share their stories and information in a way that is more comforting than worrying. For them to let me sit in and share a few meals with them was a great honor. For me to learn more about their lives and experiences was a great eye opener.
There are some things you talk about with a person who has a loved one in the military, and there are some things you don't. These women will only talk about the "don't" stuff with each other, people who know what it's like, people who can reassure them it will be all right once their husbands return. They don't think about the work their husbands are doing. They look forward to the day they can see their husbands faces and hold their husbands for a good long while. And they all work together to help each other get through it.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
When it rains...
There are nights like tonight when the rain is actually quite soothing. The serenity from the drops falling on the rooftop, the sounds of tires kicking up the water as cars drive by, the general silence in the world because everyone is indoors.
I'm enjoying the quiet and peacefulness that comes from a night like tonight. I hope the sound of the rain will help me to sleep quite well this evening.
I would say this feeling I have does not always come about with the rain. Frequently I think to myself, another soppy night, or guess I'll need warm clothes tomorrow. I'm taking advantage of this great satisfaction with the world that I have right now.
It does rain a lot in Portland - well, the Northwest in general - so I'm taking tonight's enjoyment and running with it, because the rest of the year I will probably not feel this way. Thank you, Saturday night, for providing me with a good rainfall.
I'm enjoying the quiet and peacefulness that comes from a night like tonight. I hope the sound of the rain will help me to sleep quite well this evening.
I would say this feeling I have does not always come about with the rain. Frequently I think to myself, another soppy night, or guess I'll need warm clothes tomorrow. I'm taking advantage of this great satisfaction with the world that I have right now.
It does rain a lot in Portland - well, the Northwest in general - so I'm taking tonight's enjoyment and running with it, because the rest of the year I will probably not feel this way. Thank you, Saturday night, for providing me with a good rainfall.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Planning vacations is hard
I'm planning a big adventure for the big 2-5. I'm going to Disneyland!
However, I am beginning to notice the level of difficulty associated with planning such an epic adventure. The tickets are the easy part. Finding a reasonably priced hotel, figuring out the best time to go, and also scheduling an itinerary... Mom didn't tell me planning a vacation was going to be so hard!
Budget constraints are the main limiting factor. I'm turning 25; I don't have the budget of someone nearing retirement. Plus, I'm working part time, so I don't even have the budget of a full time person.
No worries, though. I may have come up with a solution. You only hit the quarter-century mark once in your life. So why not make a few concessions and spend a little extra on the room? Call it the birthday gift to myself... in addition to the actual Disneyland experience.
The other thing is my birthday falls between two major holidays: Christmas and New Year's. Uh, it's going to be epic in more than just one way, my friends. I have never in my life spent a day in Disneyland between major holidays. I'm pretty excited about the adventures this could lead to.
Plus, we're going to see the world's biggest doughnut, so even better!
I think, yeah, I will use that money from arts and crafts in the Res Life office towards my Southern California adventure. Making decisions is hard.
However, I am beginning to notice the level of difficulty associated with planning such an epic adventure. The tickets are the easy part. Finding a reasonably priced hotel, figuring out the best time to go, and also scheduling an itinerary... Mom didn't tell me planning a vacation was going to be so hard!
Budget constraints are the main limiting factor. I'm turning 25; I don't have the budget of someone nearing retirement. Plus, I'm working part time, so I don't even have the budget of a full time person.
No worries, though. I may have come up with a solution. You only hit the quarter-century mark once in your life. So why not make a few concessions and spend a little extra on the room? Call it the birthday gift to myself... in addition to the actual Disneyland experience.
The other thing is my birthday falls between two major holidays: Christmas and New Year's. Uh, it's going to be epic in more than just one way, my friends. I have never in my life spent a day in Disneyland between major holidays. I'm pretty excited about the adventures this could lead to.
Plus, we're going to see the world's biggest doughnut, so even better!
I think, yeah, I will use that money from arts and crafts in the Res Life office towards my Southern California adventure. Making decisions is hard.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Finnair, you tempt me with your offer
In case you didn't hear, Finnair is looking for four Quality Hunters to travel the globe and report back on all things quality: http://rethinkquality.finnair.com/quality-hunters/
Actually, I don't know if that's really what you'd be doing, but I imagine you'd get some sort of training from them or a list of expectations. It might mean I'd have to get a Twitter account...
Now, I just submitted my application. Why not, right? No commitments right now. It would be super fun. And it could help me to accomplish seeing more of the world's largest things!
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In other random news, I was sent an email from somewhere that wanted me to pre-order my "Belly Bump Ball" by Museum Tour. Imagine a large red inflatable raspberry you would wear around you like a Halloween costume.
It looks pretty fun, but why would you want to pre-order one? I'm guessing if they were out of sumo wrestler outfits you could get the Belly Bump Ball. If my Halloween costume does not work out like I think it will, I may have to invest in this thing and actually be a raspberry instead.
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Sinus infections are a pain in the butt. Well, head, actually, but the saying doesn't say pain in the head. I found out I actually have a pretty bad one. I had a temperature for the first time in a really long time. 100 degrees Fahrenheit! That's pretty high for someone who's average body temperature is right around 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit. And I needed to get antibiotics.
I'm not a very good sick person. I don't rest is my problem. There are things I could and should be doing instead of sitting around doing nothing. And drinking all these liquids is out of my norm, as well. I decided that I'm going to kick this sinus infection out of my body as soon as possible, so I'm actually trying to be a good little patient.
I'd say overall, though, I'm pretty good at not infecting other people. I wash my hands regularly, use sterilizing wipes in areas I've been working, and I warn others that I have whatever sickness it is so they are not alarmed in the off chance they catch what I have.
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I've started a new blog about my adventures to see the American originals/roadside attractions I keep looking up. It's called "Look what I found!" and is located at the web address dutysbigtravels.blogspot.com. I finally opened it up after the first BIG adventure to see the world's largest frying pan this past weekend. I now have a running total of three blogs to maintain, but as there have been no major developments in my dating life it's really just the two.
I'm pretty excited about checking all these things out. And my buddy Derek has agreed that one day we shall road trip and look for random roadside attractions. He and his wife, Holly, already saw a couple of items, including the world's largest prairie dog and the world's largest candle. I mean, how awesome is that!
Actually, I don't know if that's really what you'd be doing, but I imagine you'd get some sort of training from them or a list of expectations. It might mean I'd have to get a Twitter account...
Now, I just submitted my application. Why not, right? No commitments right now. It would be super fun. And it could help me to accomplish seeing more of the world's largest things!
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In other random news, I was sent an email from somewhere that wanted me to pre-order my "Belly Bump Ball" by Museum Tour. Imagine a large red inflatable raspberry you would wear around you like a Halloween costume.
It looks pretty fun, but why would you want to pre-order one? I'm guessing if they were out of sumo wrestler outfits you could get the Belly Bump Ball. If my Halloween costume does not work out like I think it will, I may have to invest in this thing and actually be a raspberry instead.
______________________________________________________Sinus infections are a pain in the butt. Well, head, actually, but the saying doesn't say pain in the head. I found out I actually have a pretty bad one. I had a temperature for the first time in a really long time. 100 degrees Fahrenheit! That's pretty high for someone who's average body temperature is right around 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit. And I needed to get antibiotics.
I'm not a very good sick person. I don't rest is my problem. There are things I could and should be doing instead of sitting around doing nothing. And drinking all these liquids is out of my norm, as well. I decided that I'm going to kick this sinus infection out of my body as soon as possible, so I'm actually trying to be a good little patient.
I'd say overall, though, I'm pretty good at not infecting other people. I wash my hands regularly, use sterilizing wipes in areas I've been working, and I warn others that I have whatever sickness it is so they are not alarmed in the off chance they catch what I have.
______________________________________________________
I've started a new blog about my adventures to see the American originals/roadside attractions I keep looking up. It's called "Look what I found!" and is located at the web address dutysbigtravels.blogspot.com. I finally opened it up after the first BIG adventure to see the world's largest frying pan this past weekend. I now have a running total of three blogs to maintain, but as there have been no major developments in my dating life it's really just the two.
I'm pretty excited about checking all these things out. And my buddy Derek has agreed that one day we shall road trip and look for random roadside attractions. He and his wife, Holly, already saw a couple of items, including the world's largest prairie dog and the world's largest candle. I mean, how awesome is that!
Friday, September 10, 2010
A movie review: Easy A
Megan and I went to see this movie the other night at a free screening event, and all I have to say is well done, Sony; great film to produce. Oh, and I may spill some plot lines here, so if you're like me and like to be surprised you will be upset with some of the following information.
Basically the film pays homage to the John Hughes classics of the 80s, as well as another classic film from that decade, Say Anything. In fact, there are many a reference to Mr. Hughes, including a shout out to Ferris Bueller's shower scene with the shampoo mohawk. But it does more than make a few references; "Easy A" is cleverly written in the style of Hughes. If you like a whip-smart teenage girl who is wise beyond her years with her retorts, you'd like Olive. Plus, she's funny. And not just a slapstick version of funny, but the lines written for Olive are witty and intelligent, not something you see a lot of these days.
Premise: Emma Stone plays Olive, a girl who lies about losing her virginity but then becomes the butt of the joke in her high school's rumor mill. The lies get worse and worse as she tries to help out the "lower class" of Southern California public high school society: nerds, wimps, a gay friend. And it just keeps getting worse for poor Olive. And so, because she's a funny girl and appreciates a good cultural reference, and because her English class is studying "The Scarlet Letter," Olive takes it upon herself to wear Hester Prynn's letter around campus on a newly skanked-up wardrobe, taking on the world of high school gossip and drama. She does solve the problem of the continuous rumor mill by addressing her peers online (because kids take to the internet instead of sending memos to the class), and she rides off into the sunset with the guy on a lawnmower, fists pumped into the air a la Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club.
The best part about the movie, though, would have to be the casting. Oh, how I love the casting! Emma Stone, first of all - how adorable is she? - is perfect as Olive, though I didn't really think the name fit the character. It probably helps that Stone appears to have a quirky sense of humor. Her parents were played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. Even more perfect! I wanted them to be my parents after I left the movie. I mean, spelling out a dirty word in your peas because you don't want your younger brother to know the word - c'mon. Too good. They played those roles perfectly. It could also have been how the characters were written, but give credit where credit is due: both actors are way under used and super good. Penn Badgley of "Gossip Girl" fame plays Woodchuck Todd, the looove interest. It would probably have been more believable to have him still in high school if he didn't look to be in his early 20s, but he was still very excellent in the role. And Amanda Bynes, who retired but didn't retire and maybe this was her last movie pre-retirement, anyway... she's in it, too. But again, she's 24, too, and talk about overkill on the make-up. She's still damn funny, but it's weird to see her in a high school role again. I think Hollywood needs to figure out a way to hire some actual teenagers for teenage roles, but I guess they would not cast people if they did not fit the part. At least they weren't 30-year-olds trying to pull off 18. And Thomas Hayden Church and Lisa Kudrow as faculty members? Yes, please. Awesome.
I think the most concerning part of the film, though it is very smart and clever and funny, is the truth behind the high school rumor mill, especially these days. This poor girl isn't even across the school courtyard and already half the school has heard she's lost her virginity. And even when she tries to tell her best friend the truth, her friend believes the rumors more than the truth. It's seriously bad out there, and these kids have no self-esteem already, so of course their going to team up and join the flock in making sure they are not the victims of a cruel cruel rumor-fueled world. What with gossip feeding the American economy - tell me you didn't notice Lindsey Lohan making the evening news a couple of weeks ago, taking priority over a tragic day overseas in the Middle East - and the internet and text messaging as the wave of the future, it's going to be a different world when our kids are in school.
Oh, and in case you're wondering where the name of the movie comes from, A is the letter poor Hester Prynn gets to wear on her chest, carrying her bastard baby around town, getting judged by everyone else about what kind of person she is. And Easy would be in reference to how easy it is for people to believe Olive has become a slut; also in reference to a lady or gentleman who has the sex with whomever whenever they want.
Basically, I'm saying this is a flick you could see in the movie theater and not be disappointed about paying the money for it. If you went to a matinee, it'd be cheaper, but I'd say I might even wait for an evening ticket... no, I'm more a matinee person anyway. I was laughing a good part of the time and there were parts I wished I wasn't so I could hear the dialogue because it was so smart, but then I wouldn't have been laughing and it was very funny, so that would have been a bummer. Perhaps when it comes out to a smaller theater - you know, the kind that's $3 a ticket - I'd even see it again.
Basically the film pays homage to the John Hughes classics of the 80s, as well as another classic film from that decade, Say Anything. In fact, there are many a reference to Mr. Hughes, including a shout out to Ferris Bueller's shower scene with the shampoo mohawk. But it does more than make a few references; "Easy A" is cleverly written in the style of Hughes. If you like a whip-smart teenage girl who is wise beyond her years with her retorts, you'd like Olive. Plus, she's funny. And not just a slapstick version of funny, but the lines written for Olive are witty and intelligent, not something you see a lot of these days.
Premise: Emma Stone plays Olive, a girl who lies about losing her virginity but then becomes the butt of the joke in her high school's rumor mill. The lies get worse and worse as she tries to help out the "lower class" of Southern California public high school society: nerds, wimps, a gay friend. And it just keeps getting worse for poor Olive. And so, because she's a funny girl and appreciates a good cultural reference, and because her English class is studying "The Scarlet Letter," Olive takes it upon herself to wear Hester Prynn's letter around campus on a newly skanked-up wardrobe, taking on the world of high school gossip and drama. She does solve the problem of the continuous rumor mill by addressing her peers online (because kids take to the internet instead of sending memos to the class), and she rides off into the sunset with the guy on a lawnmower, fists pumped into the air a la Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club.
The best part about the movie, though, would have to be the casting. Oh, how I love the casting! Emma Stone, first of all - how adorable is she? - is perfect as Olive, though I didn't really think the name fit the character. It probably helps that Stone appears to have a quirky sense of humor. Her parents were played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. Even more perfect! I wanted them to be my parents after I left the movie. I mean, spelling out a dirty word in your peas because you don't want your younger brother to know the word - c'mon. Too good. They played those roles perfectly. It could also have been how the characters were written, but give credit where credit is due: both actors are way under used and super good. Penn Badgley of "Gossip Girl" fame plays Woodchuck Todd, the looove interest. It would probably have been more believable to have him still in high school if he didn't look to be in his early 20s, but he was still very excellent in the role. And Amanda Bynes, who retired but didn't retire and maybe this was her last movie pre-retirement, anyway... she's in it, too. But again, she's 24, too, and talk about overkill on the make-up. She's still damn funny, but it's weird to see her in a high school role again. I think Hollywood needs to figure out a way to hire some actual teenagers for teenage roles, but I guess they would not cast people if they did not fit the part. At least they weren't 30-year-olds trying to pull off 18. And Thomas Hayden Church and Lisa Kudrow as faculty members? Yes, please. Awesome.
I think the most concerning part of the film, though it is very smart and clever and funny, is the truth behind the high school rumor mill, especially these days. This poor girl isn't even across the school courtyard and already half the school has heard she's lost her virginity. And even when she tries to tell her best friend the truth, her friend believes the rumors more than the truth. It's seriously bad out there, and these kids have no self-esteem already, so of course their going to team up and join the flock in making sure they are not the victims of a cruel cruel rumor-fueled world. What with gossip feeding the American economy - tell me you didn't notice Lindsey Lohan making the evening news a couple of weeks ago, taking priority over a tragic day overseas in the Middle East - and the internet and text messaging as the wave of the future, it's going to be a different world when our kids are in school.
Oh, and in case you're wondering where the name of the movie comes from, A is the letter poor Hester Prynn gets to wear on her chest, carrying her bastard baby around town, getting judged by everyone else about what kind of person she is. And Easy would be in reference to how easy it is for people to believe Olive has become a slut; also in reference to a lady or gentleman who has the sex with whomever whenever they want.
Basically, I'm saying this is a flick you could see in the movie theater and not be disappointed about paying the money for it. If you went to a matinee, it'd be cheaper, but I'd say I might even wait for an evening ticket... no, I'm more a matinee person anyway. I was laughing a good part of the time and there were parts I wished I wasn't so I could hear the dialogue because it was so smart, but then I wouldn't have been laughing and it was very funny, so that would have been a bummer. Perhaps when it comes out to a smaller theater - you know, the kind that's $3 a ticket - I'd even see it again.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A collection of random observations
Apparently I am following my own blog. I do not know how I managed to do this, but I also do not know how to un-follow myself. For the record, I really only have two followers for this blog.
A lot of people sleep in the airport. I assume they are either waiting for their flight, have a lay-over, or are really tired. I'm surprised they are actually able to get some rest. I don't think I could sleep in the terminal: all those lights, noises, the potential of someone stealing your bag.
I saw a couple meeting at the car wash across the street. I don't know why the car wash was chosen as the destination of their rendezvous, but to each his or her own. I know this was a lover's reunion because the lady pulled into the car wash like a mad woman, got out of her car, and immediately run-jump-hugged the man. It was kind of sweet. I imagine they were forbidden lovers and the car wash was the only way they could meet each other.
It's so relaxing to not have to work seven days a week. I'm feeling a little confused as to what I should do with all this extra time. I did laundry on Sunday after work. Yesterday I did some shredding and actually cooked myself dinner. Today I think I might lounge about because I can. Actually, I've got a project to finish, as well as updating my Netflix queue. It's such a hard life...
Official date of commencement for seeing the American originals is in two Sundays. I think that would by Sunday, September 12. Going to see the world's largest frying pan, followed by the world's largest squirting clam, and returning home in time to see the season finale of True Blood.
Though others disagree, I think this season of True Blood is taking the most creative liberties from the book it is meant to follow. In fact, I think I am most correct because these last two episodes are not even plot lines in any of the books! Also, the book series is far more violent than the television show, and the show has had exploding heads and people getting their faces punched into oblivion.
I'm pretty bummed that this summer only resulted in a total of seven days of hot weather. It's been a very cold summer here in Portland.
Apparently I provide great humor to my coworkers. I got really excited that we had paper towels to bring up to the ticket counter and they laughed. I was beyond confused that the time clock wasn't working the other day, and the confusion inhibited my abilities to form complete sentences. I've always got a song in my head, but that's nothing new. From what I understand, I am funny because I do not say things in a way that another person would say them. It's hard to explain. You will have to be present for such a situation in order to understand, unless you know me, in which case you know. It also helps when I mean to say something in complete innocence, but due to modern society's mind being in the gutter 89% of the time it can be interpreted as inappropriate to others.
One day at work we found what appeared to be a dirty love letter. Someone had written a poem by E.E. Cummings inside a card. We didn't know what the poem was, but when I was asked to read the poem aloud by another crew member I told him it would not be airport appropriate. He agreed after he began to read the poem over my shoulder, and we were both relieved to not have the passengers of PDX hear the dirty words someone did not intend to leave the hands of the recipient.
Today is the last day of August. There are only four months left in the year. When did that happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was getting interviewed by Elise the recruiter for a job? I cannot believe the year has moved this fast. Perhaps it moved slower when I was unemployed because I had nothing else to do but watch the days slug by. Now I focus on making sure I know my work schedule and planning ahead for vacations.
A lot of people sleep in the airport. I assume they are either waiting for their flight, have a lay-over, or are really tired. I'm surprised they are actually able to get some rest. I don't think I could sleep in the terminal: all those lights, noises, the potential of someone stealing your bag.
I saw a couple meeting at the car wash across the street. I don't know why the car wash was chosen as the destination of their rendezvous, but to each his or her own. I know this was a lover's reunion because the lady pulled into the car wash like a mad woman, got out of her car, and immediately run-jump-hugged the man. It was kind of sweet. I imagine they were forbidden lovers and the car wash was the only way they could meet each other.
It's so relaxing to not have to work seven days a week. I'm feeling a little confused as to what I should do with all this extra time. I did laundry on Sunday after work. Yesterday I did some shredding and actually cooked myself dinner. Today I think I might lounge about because I can. Actually, I've got a project to finish, as well as updating my Netflix queue. It's such a hard life...
Official date of commencement for seeing the American originals is in two Sundays. I think that would by Sunday, September 12. Going to see the world's largest frying pan, followed by the world's largest squirting clam, and returning home in time to see the season finale of True Blood.
Though others disagree, I think this season of True Blood is taking the most creative liberties from the book it is meant to follow. In fact, I think I am most correct because these last two episodes are not even plot lines in any of the books! Also, the book series is far more violent than the television show, and the show has had exploding heads and people getting their faces punched into oblivion.
I'm pretty bummed that this summer only resulted in a total of seven days of hot weather. It's been a very cold summer here in Portland.
Apparently I provide great humor to my coworkers. I got really excited that we had paper towels to bring up to the ticket counter and they laughed. I was beyond confused that the time clock wasn't working the other day, and the confusion inhibited my abilities to form complete sentences. I've always got a song in my head, but that's nothing new. From what I understand, I am funny because I do not say things in a way that another person would say them. It's hard to explain. You will have to be present for such a situation in order to understand, unless you know me, in which case you know. It also helps when I mean to say something in complete innocence, but due to modern society's mind being in the gutter 89% of the time it can be interpreted as inappropriate to others.
One day at work we found what appeared to be a dirty love letter. Someone had written a poem by E.E. Cummings inside a card. We didn't know what the poem was, but when I was asked to read the poem aloud by another crew member I told him it would not be airport appropriate. He agreed after he began to read the poem over my shoulder, and we were both relieved to not have the passengers of PDX hear the dirty words someone did not intend to leave the hands of the recipient.
Today is the last day of August. There are only four months left in the year. When did that happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was getting interviewed by Elise the recruiter for a job? I cannot believe the year has moved this fast. Perhaps it moved slower when I was unemployed because I had nothing else to do but watch the days slug by. Now I focus on making sure I know my work schedule and planning ahead for vacations.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Complaints department
I'm sorry for the tirades, y'all. I swear, I'm trying not to complain too much. A few things have irritated me, therefore I needed to get them off my proverbial chest, and my blog is closer than my paper journal.
I think things will be more cheery in a couple of weeks. I plan on starting my tour of the world's largest next month, as well as a trip to Nashville. I will also be catching up on my sleep and resting my feet some more, so hopefully I won't be such a crabby old lady.
Also, there hasn't been too much excitement or novelty, and I can only blog about that which I encounter on a daily basis.
I think things will be more cheery in a couple of weeks. I plan on starting my tour of the world's largest next month, as well as a trip to Nashville. I will also be catching up on my sleep and resting my feet some more, so hopefully I won't be such a crabby old lady.
Also, there hasn't been too much excitement or novelty, and I can only blog about that which I encounter on a daily basis.
On a day when I am angry
This doesn't happen very often. I blame today's anger on a combination of factors, not least of which is exhaustion. The other factors would be greedy self-centered Customers and stupid idiots (yes, I do realize that is a redundant thing to call someone).
I am a very intelligent person. I may play dumb, and I may be oblivious to some things, but when it comes down to it I am pretty smart (even quick witted on occasion). When I'm tired from seven days a week of work, my brain may not operate on the same level it usually does, but I can still formulate coherent sentences and express my point clearly.
Annoyance number one: Customer is trying to check-in at the kiosk, and it's not working. "Could someone come here and help me?" she asked in a not-nice tone. I go over to see if I can help. "You know, if you're dropping off bags you should get in line anyway because you'll need to come and get your bags tagged by us." "Well," she said, "can you bring someone up here to work on this problem?" Seriously? "Well, we're a smaller station so we don't have a tech department here to help, but like I said, if you'd just get in line we'll take care of you." At no point was the invitation to come to the front of the line offered, bypassing all the other Customers waiting to check-in for the same flight. "Ma'am, I said for you to go to the back of the line. These people have all been waiting to check-in and drop off bags." "Well, I just need to drop off my bag and the kiosk wasn't working." "Yes," I said, " but I told you to go get in line. These..." I got cut-off by her incessant yapping. "Listen, I'm only going to do this one time," I begin, my tone stern and unconcerned with her present situation. "I'm going to check you in and take your bags, but you need to know that these other people have been waiting in line to do the same thing, for the same flight that you are trying to check-in for." I continue to check the woman and her daughter, who has a dumbfounded look upon her pre-teen face, and they refuse make eye contact with me. As the gentleman checking in next to them said, "She knows what she's doing." Making a fool of herself, and showing the rest of the people who will be spending 2 1/2 hours in a confined place with them angry at the two of them, in case you were wondering what he meant by that statement. Before the mother and daughter team leaves my counter, I reiterate to them, "In Portland, we check in at the kiosk and then get in line, like everyone else, to drop off our bags, like everyone, because everyone is trying to get to the same flight."
Now, if the line wasn't already beginning to wrap around to the other airline space, and if we didn't have to check these people in within thirty minutes , I would have made her go to the back of the line. Having worked with this type of person before, I knew that trying to argue with her and trying to get her to go to the back of the line would take more time than I had at that moment. I made the executive decision to check her in though I didn't want to reward her behavior. In fact, I wanted to drag her to the back of the line myself. I apologize to those Customers who had been waiting in line much longer than she and were not happy about her. I hope they saw the woman as the person to blame and not me. But they probably blame me for appeasing her childish behavior. I probably would have blamed me in their position. But I'm blaming this woman for putting me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. However, I did enjoy lecturing her in front of so many people, like shaming a puppy, though she wasn't as cute as a puppy.
Annoyance number two: Every year before school starts up, students on campus prepare welcome signs for incoming freshpeople to see on their approach to the University. It's something the halls do to make these people and their parents feel special, and is NOT by any means a publicity stunt, even though the signs are entertaining. Apparently the Marketing department thinks these signs are intended for the latter purpose. And apparently the person in charge of heading up these signs is an idiot. The boss and I met with the idiot and his crony a few weeks ago and expected certain things to transpire as a result of the meeting. Apparently they thought we were indifferent to the whole thing. Idiots. When we say, "the RAs do not have the time to be part of an organized effort to make signs," it literally means that the RAs don't have the time to go off their schedule. And when we say, "these signs are an organic development that the students felt their was a need for," it does not mean you can hire a bunch of students to do a craft chore. Basically, Marketing thought we didn't do a good enough job and took that "chore" away from us.
Point about the RAs: they are not student workers but employees of the University that go through an extensive training. They do not get to be bossed around by a different department that doesn't understand a thing we do in Residence Life. Point about the signs: they are not a chore. They are the efforts of students on campus who know what it feels like the see their residence hall's name on the drive in to campus. Making a bunch of generic signs like a chore you've been tasked with is not the same as putting some soul into the welcome; If you don't get that, you never will. P.S.: You should really listen to what people are telling you instead of just doing WTF you feel like. I don't know how many times "the RAs cannot come together to make signs not because they don't want to but because they don't have the time" can be said before a person realizes they are being a jerk.
I seriously felt like punching someone after that second situation. I don't get angry very easily. Few things set me in a bad mood. One of those things happens to be greedy rule breakers. Another one of those things is when people take a sweet tradition and turn it into a corporate project. I wanted to scream at both culprits, but I had to reign in my anger and try not have my signs of frustration heard.
I also blame the fact that I haven't had a day off since July 28 and won't have a day off until August 30. That is going to be one beautiful day off.
For future reference, do not make me angry when I am exhausted. It's not pretty. You'll be lucky if I keep my temper in check. I'm Portuguese - we don't hide our emotions easily. And for future reference, if you know you're wrong or you know you're an idiot, I'd much rather you admit it and do what's right.
And I'm usually such a lovely, bubbly person!
I am a very intelligent person. I may play dumb, and I may be oblivious to some things, but when it comes down to it I am pretty smart (even quick witted on occasion). When I'm tired from seven days a week of work, my brain may not operate on the same level it usually does, but I can still formulate coherent sentences and express my point clearly.
Annoyance number one: Customer is trying to check-in at the kiosk, and it's not working. "Could someone come here and help me?" she asked in a not-nice tone. I go over to see if I can help. "You know, if you're dropping off bags you should get in line anyway because you'll need to come and get your bags tagged by us." "Well," she said, "can you bring someone up here to work on this problem?" Seriously? "Well, we're a smaller station so we don't have a tech department here to help, but like I said, if you'd just get in line we'll take care of you." At no point was the invitation to come to the front of the line offered, bypassing all the other Customers waiting to check-in for the same flight. "Ma'am, I said for you to go to the back of the line. These people have all been waiting to check-in and drop off bags." "Well, I just need to drop off my bag and the kiosk wasn't working." "Yes," I said, " but I told you to go get in line. These..." I got cut-off by her incessant yapping. "Listen, I'm only going to do this one time," I begin, my tone stern and unconcerned with her present situation. "I'm going to check you in and take your bags, but you need to know that these other people have been waiting in line to do the same thing, for the same flight that you are trying to check-in for." I continue to check the woman and her daughter, who has a dumbfounded look upon her pre-teen face, and they refuse make eye contact with me. As the gentleman checking in next to them said, "She knows what she's doing." Making a fool of herself, and showing the rest of the people who will be spending 2 1/2 hours in a confined place with them angry at the two of them, in case you were wondering what he meant by that statement. Before the mother and daughter team leaves my counter, I reiterate to them, "In Portland, we check in at the kiosk and then get in line, like everyone else, to drop off our bags, like everyone, because everyone is trying to get to the same flight."
Now, if the line wasn't already beginning to wrap around to the other airline space, and if we didn't have to check these people in within thirty minutes , I would have made her go to the back of the line. Having worked with this type of person before, I knew that trying to argue with her and trying to get her to go to the back of the line would take more time than I had at that moment. I made the executive decision to check her in though I didn't want to reward her behavior. In fact, I wanted to drag her to the back of the line myself. I apologize to those Customers who had been waiting in line much longer than she and were not happy about her. I hope they saw the woman as the person to blame and not me. But they probably blame me for appeasing her childish behavior. I probably would have blamed me in their position. But I'm blaming this woman for putting me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. However, I did enjoy lecturing her in front of so many people, like shaming a puppy, though she wasn't as cute as a puppy.
Annoyance number two: Every year before school starts up, students on campus prepare welcome signs for incoming freshpeople to see on their approach to the University. It's something the halls do to make these people and their parents feel special, and is NOT by any means a publicity stunt, even though the signs are entertaining. Apparently the Marketing department thinks these signs are intended for the latter purpose. And apparently the person in charge of heading up these signs is an idiot. The boss and I met with the idiot and his crony a few weeks ago and expected certain things to transpire as a result of the meeting. Apparently they thought we were indifferent to the whole thing. Idiots. When we say, "the RAs do not have the time to be part of an organized effort to make signs," it literally means that the RAs don't have the time to go off their schedule. And when we say, "these signs are an organic development that the students felt their was a need for," it does not mean you can hire a bunch of students to do a craft chore. Basically, Marketing thought we didn't do a good enough job and took that "chore" away from us.
Point about the RAs: they are not student workers but employees of the University that go through an extensive training. They do not get to be bossed around by a different department that doesn't understand a thing we do in Residence Life. Point about the signs: they are not a chore. They are the efforts of students on campus who know what it feels like the see their residence hall's name on the drive in to campus. Making a bunch of generic signs like a chore you've been tasked with is not the same as putting some soul into the welcome; If you don't get that, you never will. P.S.: You should really listen to what people are telling you instead of just doing WTF you feel like. I don't know how many times "the RAs cannot come together to make signs not because they don't want to but because they don't have the time" can be said before a person realizes they are being a jerk.
I seriously felt like punching someone after that second situation. I don't get angry very easily. Few things set me in a bad mood. One of those things happens to be greedy rule breakers. Another one of those things is when people take a sweet tradition and turn it into a corporate project. I wanted to scream at both culprits, but I had to reign in my anger and try not have my signs of frustration heard.
I also blame the fact that I haven't had a day off since July 28 and won't have a day off until August 30. That is going to be one beautiful day off.
For future reference, do not make me angry when I am exhausted. It's not pretty. You'll be lucky if I keep my temper in check. I'm Portuguese - we don't hide our emotions easily. And for future reference, if you know you're wrong or you know you're an idiot, I'd much rather you admit it and do what's right.
And I'm usually such a lovely, bubbly person!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Seven days a week
What was I thinking when I signed up for this? I apparently decided that working seven days a week was going to be no big deal.
Let's just say I'm really looking forward to September...
I work five days at JetBlue and five days at Res Life. Wednesday through Sunday I work at the airport; Monday through Friday I work at Res Life. I don't know if you caught on, but the overlap does not work in my favor. I work at least 10 hours a day three days out of the week, which probably wouldn't be so bad if it was all in one place and also if I wasn't up at 3:20 am.
Saturday and Sunday I get home from JetBlue and just relax. I sit on the couch for a while, with my feet up, taking in some television entertainment. Monday and Tuesday I sleep in and get back the hours of sleep I lose the rest of the week. I show up in the Res Life office a little crazy with all the rest I got the nights before. But those three days in the middle are pure torture.
I keep forgetting what day of the week it is. For the record, today is Thursday. I'm afraid at some point I will forget to show up at one of the two jobs.
I did do this to myself. I picked up Sundays at the airport because we are short staffed and need the help, and I don't mind getting a little extra cash to be honest. I said yes to helping in Res Life because they are my buddies and asked if I'd be willing to help out in August - the busiest month of the year - since there are no student workers and the AHD usually there is busy with training. I guess I didn't realize I was setting myself up for an entire month without a weekend.
For future reference, one cannot fully rest nor maintain one's house or refrigerator when one does not have enough time to do so. Also, one becomes very good at squeezing errands into smaller time frames as a result of one's overindulgence in work.
The perk to working the second job is that the month's worth of work will pay for my car insurance coming up next month, as well as the badly needed work shoes I purchased today for the airport.
Vacations and adventures must be postponed until next month is the only bummer. I could have really used a trip to Hawai'i this month, too. Darn.
Let's just say I'm really looking forward to September...
I work five days at JetBlue and five days at Res Life. Wednesday through Sunday I work at the airport; Monday through Friday I work at Res Life. I don't know if you caught on, but the overlap does not work in my favor. I work at least 10 hours a day three days out of the week, which probably wouldn't be so bad if it was all in one place and also if I wasn't up at 3:20 am.
Saturday and Sunday I get home from JetBlue and just relax. I sit on the couch for a while, with my feet up, taking in some television entertainment. Monday and Tuesday I sleep in and get back the hours of sleep I lose the rest of the week. I show up in the Res Life office a little crazy with all the rest I got the nights before. But those three days in the middle are pure torture.
I keep forgetting what day of the week it is. For the record, today is Thursday. I'm afraid at some point I will forget to show up at one of the two jobs.
I did do this to myself. I picked up Sundays at the airport because we are short staffed and need the help, and I don't mind getting a little extra cash to be honest. I said yes to helping in Res Life because they are my buddies and asked if I'd be willing to help out in August - the busiest month of the year - since there are no student workers and the AHD usually there is busy with training. I guess I didn't realize I was setting myself up for an entire month without a weekend.
For future reference, one cannot fully rest nor maintain one's house or refrigerator when one does not have enough time to do so. Also, one becomes very good at squeezing errands into smaller time frames as a result of one's overindulgence in work.
The perk to working the second job is that the month's worth of work will pay for my car insurance coming up next month, as well as the badly needed work shoes I purchased today for the airport.
Vacations and adventures must be postponed until next month is the only bummer. I could have really used a trip to Hawai'i this month, too. Darn.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The helicopter parent
We have long known about these parents who are too involved in their child's everyday activities. They hover over their son or daughter, waiting for the moment when they will need mommy or daddy to solve the problem for them. It's all about insecurity, mostly on the part of the parent, and for those of us who have been involved in education it's getting a little old.
We no longer call them the helicopter parents, hovering over their beloved babies and making sure the kids never have to fend for themselves; the helicopter has become the bulldozer.
The bulldozer parent. It's very appropriate for today's world. This new breed of parent pushes their way into every situation to make sure that everything goes just as they planned... and by "they" we're talking about the parent, not the kids (the kids frequently don't really care). Bulldozer parents even push themselves into situations when nothing is wrong yet.
I spent 20 minutes today talking with one such mother. Nothing I could say would make her feel better about the situation. It wasn't even a situation warranting immediate attention. In summation of our conversation, her fear is that her son's roommate is too outgoing and won't help her very shy son adapt to college life. She thought it was a "red flag" that the roommate might not like video games as much, and she wondered who in their right mind was responsible for this situation. I had to explain to her the other side of the situation, and possible reasons why the future roommate did or said something, not the least of which was that maybe he wants to have some say in what goes on in their shared living space. I should have said, maybe it's a good idea that your son has someone that's more outgoing to show him a different side of life.
Seriously? First, your son hasn't even met this other kid, so hold off on assumptions. Second, your son is going to be living in the room, not you. And finally, you're going to have to let go at some point, and now is a good time to start.
I'm going to be blunt with all the parents out there in a panic that their child's first college experiences aren't going to be perfect: YOUR CHILD'S FIRST COLLEGE EXPERIENCES AREN'T GOING TO BE PERFECT. There is no way to plan for every situation. Half of the fun of college is experiencing new things. It's called a learning experience because you have to make accommodations when things don't go how you expected them, and you learn new things about yourself. If you expect it to be perfect you're going to be sorely disappointed. And the fact that they aren't perfect experiences now will make them great stories in the future when he or she is looking back on college.
And for the record: We get phone calls like this all the time. You're situation is not unique. And please stop making yourselves crazy. You are making us crazy as a result. We do note when crazy parents or students call the offices so we can keep an eye on you.
We no longer call them the helicopter parents, hovering over their beloved babies and making sure the kids never have to fend for themselves; the helicopter has become the bulldozer.
The bulldozer parent. It's very appropriate for today's world. This new breed of parent pushes their way into every situation to make sure that everything goes just as they planned... and by "they" we're talking about the parent, not the kids (the kids frequently don't really care). Bulldozer parents even push themselves into situations when nothing is wrong yet.
I spent 20 minutes today talking with one such mother. Nothing I could say would make her feel better about the situation. It wasn't even a situation warranting immediate attention. In summation of our conversation, her fear is that her son's roommate is too outgoing and won't help her very shy son adapt to college life. She thought it was a "red flag" that the roommate might not like video games as much, and she wondered who in their right mind was responsible for this situation. I had to explain to her the other side of the situation, and possible reasons why the future roommate did or said something, not the least of which was that maybe he wants to have some say in what goes on in their shared living space. I should have said, maybe it's a good idea that your son has someone that's more outgoing to show him a different side of life.
Seriously? First, your son hasn't even met this other kid, so hold off on assumptions. Second, your son is going to be living in the room, not you. And finally, you're going to have to let go at some point, and now is a good time to start.
I'm going to be blunt with all the parents out there in a panic that their child's first college experiences aren't going to be perfect: YOUR CHILD'S FIRST COLLEGE EXPERIENCES AREN'T GOING TO BE PERFECT. There is no way to plan for every situation. Half of the fun of college is experiencing new things. It's called a learning experience because you have to make accommodations when things don't go how you expected them, and you learn new things about yourself. If you expect it to be perfect you're going to be sorely disappointed. And the fact that they aren't perfect experiences now will make them great stories in the future when he or she is looking back on college.
And for the record: We get phone calls like this all the time. You're situation is not unique. And please stop making yourselves crazy. You are making us crazy as a result. We do note when crazy parents or students call the offices so we can keep an eye on you.
Friday, August 6, 2010
World's biggest... strawberry?
I have plans for an epic adventure.
Here is the background on the situation: Back in the 1990s, a John Travolta movie took a fallen angel on a road trip across the country with a bunch of reporters and a beloved pet. Travolta danced and smelled like cookies, Andie McDowell sang about pie, and I think the beloved pet might have died... Well, that movie was "Michael," and if it wasn't already one of the best movies I've ever seen, what makes it even better is the fact that Michael insists they visit the world's largest ball of twine and an collection of other "world's largest" sculptures on their trek across the country. Thus inspired my goal of doing the same (because who wouldn't want to see the world's largest ball of twine?!).
When I went home a couple of weekends ago my mom had this clipping waiting for me with... you'll never believe it... that's right! It was a clipping of "American originals," large sculptures from every state inspired to bring tourism to the farthest reaches of our country. I took this to be a sign that my adventures should begin as soon as possible.
I have decided my tour of these American originals, including the world's largest strawberry, will begin next month at the latest. I have apparently gone more crazy than usual and decided to work seven days a week during the month of August, finding it difficult to plan an adventure to see the world's largest cowboy boots in Seattle amid the shifts I work at the airport and my afternoons spent in the Office of Residence Life. But know that these adventures will begin soon, and they will be epic.
In fact, I believe that there is a percentage of people that are interested in achieving the same goal. When looking for more than just one of the world's largest in each state, I came across this: http://www.worldslargestdoc.com/. Apparently they are making a documentary about the efforts of small towns to attract tourists by building these monuments.
I wonder if there is a book on these landmarks...
Here is the background on the situation: Back in the 1990s, a John Travolta movie took a fallen angel on a road trip across the country with a bunch of reporters and a beloved pet. Travolta danced and smelled like cookies, Andie McDowell sang about pie, and I think the beloved pet might have died... Well, that movie was "Michael," and if it wasn't already one of the best movies I've ever seen, what makes it even better is the fact that Michael insists they visit the world's largest ball of twine and an collection of other "world's largest" sculptures on their trek across the country. Thus inspired my goal of doing the same (because who wouldn't want to see the world's largest ball of twine?!).
When I went home a couple of weekends ago my mom had this clipping waiting for me with... you'll never believe it... that's right! It was a clipping of "American originals," large sculptures from every state inspired to bring tourism to the farthest reaches of our country. I took this to be a sign that my adventures should begin as soon as possible.
I have decided my tour of these American originals, including the world's largest strawberry, will begin next month at the latest. I have apparently gone more crazy than usual and decided to work seven days a week during the month of August, finding it difficult to plan an adventure to see the world's largest cowboy boots in Seattle amid the shifts I work at the airport and my afternoons spent in the Office of Residence Life. But know that these adventures will begin soon, and they will be epic.
In fact, I believe that there is a percentage of people that are interested in achieving the same goal. When looking for more than just one of the world's largest in each state, I came across this: http://www.worldslargestdoc.com/. Apparently they are making a documentary about the efforts of small towns to attract tourists by building these monuments.
I wonder if there is a book on these landmarks...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Lifestyles of the Rich, Famous, and Crazy
What happened to the world of celebrity? I think perhaps the pressure of normal Americans like myself has made them go a little cookoo... to say the least!
So we have Mel Gibson. Wow. Didn't know you were such a jerk, Mel. In case you hadn't heard, Mel decided to verbally berate his baby-mama, and somehow a copy of his verbal attacks made it to gossip website Radar Online. To say these rants are awful is an understatement. I didn't know one person could say so many hateful things to another, followed by a request for sexual favors. Oh, Mel, I think fathering that many kids has definitely gotten to you. And for a man in his early 50s, you ain't looking so good, buddy. Maybe you should be a little kinder to people. I would get all psycho-analysis on the situation, but I don't know if I would recover from that.
Lindsay Lohan: Oh, what a hot mess you are. Dear dear dear. I find it interesting that you didn't think you'd go to jail after violating the law not just once, and not just twice, but multiple times, after numerous slaps on the wrist. There was no way Judge Marsha Revel was going to let you get away without going to jail this time (side note: well done, Judge Marsha Revel). And my favorite part about the whole thing is that Lindsay didn't realize she wouldn't get to wear make-up in jail! Oh, honey... IT'S JAIL!!! Of course you don't get make-up in JAIL! Did you know that E! News actually made a show called "Lindsay Lohan: Road to Jail"?
On a lighter note... how fun it would be to hang out at Comic-Con! The sci-fi nerd in me would love to be down in San Diego discussing theories on LOST and chatting about the latest Joss Whedon creation, perhaps getting a photo taken with some of these "crazy" celebrities. Well, I'd say the majority of these people - because they are in fact people living extraordinary lives - aren't crazy. There's that handful that make the rest look a little nuts...
Perhaps their egos got a little too big for their britches? Hate to break it to the famous folk of the world, but once you burn the candle from both ends you're in a bit of trouble. And the legal trouble, that is some stuff you cannot escape from forever. The law: it gets temporarily blinded by the fame, but sooner or later it will get you.
So we have Mel Gibson. Wow. Didn't know you were such a jerk, Mel. In case you hadn't heard, Mel decided to verbally berate his baby-mama, and somehow a copy of his verbal attacks made it to gossip website Radar Online. To say these rants are awful is an understatement. I didn't know one person could say so many hateful things to another, followed by a request for sexual favors. Oh, Mel, I think fathering that many kids has definitely gotten to you. And for a man in his early 50s, you ain't looking so good, buddy. Maybe you should be a little kinder to people. I would get all psycho-analysis on the situation, but I don't know if I would recover from that.
Lindsay Lohan: Oh, what a hot mess you are. Dear dear dear. I find it interesting that you didn't think you'd go to jail after violating the law not just once, and not just twice, but multiple times, after numerous slaps on the wrist. There was no way Judge Marsha Revel was going to let you get away without going to jail this time (side note: well done, Judge Marsha Revel). And my favorite part about the whole thing is that Lindsay didn't realize she wouldn't get to wear make-up in jail! Oh, honey... IT'S JAIL!!! Of course you don't get make-up in JAIL! Did you know that E! News actually made a show called "Lindsay Lohan: Road to Jail"?
On a lighter note... how fun it would be to hang out at Comic-Con! The sci-fi nerd in me would love to be down in San Diego discussing theories on LOST and chatting about the latest Joss Whedon creation, perhaps getting a photo taken with some of these "crazy" celebrities. Well, I'd say the majority of these people - because they are in fact people living extraordinary lives - aren't crazy. There's that handful that make the rest look a little nuts...
Perhaps their egos got a little too big for their britches? Hate to break it to the famous folk of the world, but once you burn the candle from both ends you're in a bit of trouble. And the legal trouble, that is some stuff you cannot escape from forever. The law: it gets temporarily blinded by the fame, but sooner or later it will get you.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Buffy kill count
A couple of years ago, sitting around with some friends, we decided to keep track of how many kills Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Scooby Gang accumulated over the seven seasons of the show. We thought, with a name like Buffy the Vampire Slayer there has to be a high kill count. After a year between seasons, I took it upon myself to finally finish our project and managed to watch the last two in one week. Here is what we got:
Vampires: 120 (includes Dracula and four Turok-Han)
Vampire assists: 68
Demon: 56 (includes 12 baby demons)
Witch: 1
Evil human: 1
Spirit: 1
Assassin: 2
Fairy tale creature: 12
Robot: 1
Bug: 1
Monster: 4
Hellhound: 3
Possessed zookeeper/animal: 1
ADAM: 1
Lizard guy: 1
Mummy hand: 1
Demon minion: 1
Bringers: 14
Preacher with powers of The First: 1
Assists with non-vampires: 49
End of the world saves: 7
Xander end of the world saves: 1
Buffy deaths: 2
Now, our counts did not include all kills. We only kept track of the good guys' kills. And the end of the world saves did - in some cases - include the kill of the baddie who was bringing it about, so those arch-nemeses are included under the "End of the world saves" count. And the final episode had too many kills for me to keep track of, so there are no numbers for that until I can enlist some assistance from the original team to count.
There is probably a margin of error involved in the count. I'm not sure the method was that consistent, and because of the large time gap between seasons it might not be as accurate as we had hoped. We'll say overall, there was a 90% accuracy with the count. Future Buff-athons may include a new count to compare to this one.
And now you may comment on the nerdiness involved in this project or the disturbing fact that we kept a kill count....
Vampires: 120 (includes Dracula and four Turok-Han)
Vampire assists: 68
Demon: 56 (includes 12 baby demons)
Witch: 1
Evil human: 1
Spirit: 1
Assassin: 2
Fairy tale creature: 12
Robot: 1
Bug: 1
Monster: 4
Hellhound: 3
Possessed zookeeper/animal: 1
ADAM: 1
Lizard guy: 1
Mummy hand: 1
Demon minion: 1
Bringers: 14
Preacher with powers of The First: 1
Assists with non-vampires: 49
End of the world saves: 7
Xander end of the world saves: 1
Buffy deaths: 2
Now, our counts did not include all kills. We only kept track of the good guys' kills. And the end of the world saves did - in some cases - include the kill of the baddie who was bringing it about, so those arch-nemeses are included under the "End of the world saves" count. And the final episode had too many kills for me to keep track of, so there are no numbers for that until I can enlist some assistance from the original team to count.
There is probably a margin of error involved in the count. I'm not sure the method was that consistent, and because of the large time gap between seasons it might not be as accurate as we had hoped. We'll say overall, there was a 90% accuracy with the count. Future Buff-athons may include a new count to compare to this one.
And now you may comment on the nerdiness involved in this project or the disturbing fact that we kept a kill count....
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday afternoon phone calls
Every Sunday for as long as I can remember we would go see our Avo (Portuguese granma). Our father would bring us over, we'd "visit" for about two hours, and then he'd take us home. Sometimes we'd bring some Best Burger or Porky's Pizza along for the family to have for dinner, but as we got older that became less frequent.
When I went to college the Sunday visits became Sunday phone calls. I was expected to plan my weekly call around the time they went over to visit Avo so I could speak with her. If I wasn't home for holidays I also needed to make sure I called at the time they were over at Avo's. And then the passing of the phone - an event in itself - took place. My father would answer the phone, of course, then take it over to Avo, then the phone would get handed off to whoever was there. This is still the case. On the typical Sunday it's usually Avo, Tio Humberto, Tia Delita, Ginny, and father. On holidays it's at least 10 people.
Now I've also been present at Avo's when a phone call comes in and the phone gets passed around. You get to talk to the person on the other end whether or not you actually know them, and whether or not you speak Portuguese very well. It's embarassing and uncomfortable. When you're a kid you don't care to speak with someone you don't know, and it creeps you out a little bit. All you want to do is play and eat, especially when people around you are speaking a foreign language you don't understand.
Yesterday my poor little cousins were handed the phone when I was on the other end. They don't really know who I am because they were very young when I headed off to college, and I've been in Portland for seven years now. And - because my father is oblivious and thinks it's fun to force you to guess who is on the other end of the line - when they asked who it was, he told Austin and Jessica they would have to talk to the person and find out. I remember that when I was a kid. It's scary to not know who you're about to talk to, even if they are a family member of some kind. So as soon as they got on the phone I said, "Hey it's your cousin Kristen from Portland." I tried to keep it to less than a minute, knowing they could care less about this obligation of speaking to someone they don't really know.
I know different cultures have different practices, but this one is one that should be removed from the Portuguese traditions. First, if you already have a hard time understanding Portuguese, it's even harder to understand it over a cell phone. Second, it's not like you're going to have an in depth conversation with every person that you speak to. Third, you're mentally exhausted after going through three people, and it gets more and more confusing as you get handed around the room. Fourth, you feel a little like a rag doll or a piece of property as the phone gets handed around the room. And finally, it's cruel to force children to speak to family members who are basically strangers, even if we all share a blood line.
And it could be that it's just my experience. My father has never really taken the time to tell us about our Portuguese family. My older cousins spend time together and call each other and keep themselves updated on what's going on in their lives. My brother and I have had to figure things out for ourselves over the years, like birthdays and anniversaries. We were apathetic to our Sundays at Avo's because we never knew what was going on. In the last couple of years I've become more proactive and started writing down birthdays and taking more time to ask questions on Sunday phone calls. I've tried to learn Portuguese (see WANTED: Portuguese lessons) so I can better understand and talk with Avo.
Until I can become better at this Mother Tongue and until I learn more about my family, Sundays will always be a day of obligation, expectation and anxiety.
When I went to college the Sunday visits became Sunday phone calls. I was expected to plan my weekly call around the time they went over to visit Avo so I could speak with her. If I wasn't home for holidays I also needed to make sure I called at the time they were over at Avo's. And then the passing of the phone - an event in itself - took place. My father would answer the phone, of course, then take it over to Avo, then the phone would get handed off to whoever was there. This is still the case. On the typical Sunday it's usually Avo, Tio Humberto, Tia Delita, Ginny, and father. On holidays it's at least 10 people.
Now I've also been present at Avo's when a phone call comes in and the phone gets passed around. You get to talk to the person on the other end whether or not you actually know them, and whether or not you speak Portuguese very well. It's embarassing and uncomfortable. When you're a kid you don't care to speak with someone you don't know, and it creeps you out a little bit. All you want to do is play and eat, especially when people around you are speaking a foreign language you don't understand.
Yesterday my poor little cousins were handed the phone when I was on the other end. They don't really know who I am because they were very young when I headed off to college, and I've been in Portland for seven years now. And - because my father is oblivious and thinks it's fun to force you to guess who is on the other end of the line - when they asked who it was, he told Austin and Jessica they would have to talk to the person and find out. I remember that when I was a kid. It's scary to not know who you're about to talk to, even if they are a family member of some kind. So as soon as they got on the phone I said, "Hey it's your cousin Kristen from Portland." I tried to keep it to less than a minute, knowing they could care less about this obligation of speaking to someone they don't really know.
I know different cultures have different practices, but this one is one that should be removed from the Portuguese traditions. First, if you already have a hard time understanding Portuguese, it's even harder to understand it over a cell phone. Second, it's not like you're going to have an in depth conversation with every person that you speak to. Third, you're mentally exhausted after going through three people, and it gets more and more confusing as you get handed around the room. Fourth, you feel a little like a rag doll or a piece of property as the phone gets handed around the room. And finally, it's cruel to force children to speak to family members who are basically strangers, even if we all share a blood line.
And it could be that it's just my experience. My father has never really taken the time to tell us about our Portuguese family. My older cousins spend time together and call each other and keep themselves updated on what's going on in their lives. My brother and I have had to figure things out for ourselves over the years, like birthdays and anniversaries. We were apathetic to our Sundays at Avo's because we never knew what was going on. In the last couple of years I've become more proactive and started writing down birthdays and taking more time to ask questions on Sunday phone calls. I've tried to learn Portuguese (see WANTED: Portuguese lessons) so I can better understand and talk with Avo.
Until I can become better at this Mother Tongue and until I learn more about my family, Sundays will always be a day of obligation, expectation and anxiety.
Done being a temp
I am so ready for this to be my last day at Clark College. Granted, I won't have as much time to blog since I actually have to focus on what I'm doing at my other jobs, so that will be a downside. But my brain can now operate at a more intelligent level than it has been for the last four months.
And eavesdropping this morning has led me to believe it is the most perfect time to leave this place. First, a local director was telling people that there was a grafitti death threat on the back of the biulding that needs to be painted over ASAP. She knows it's a death threat because she had a reformed tagger as a student once who told her the difference between harmless and dangerous tagging. Second, another one of the local directors was telling the her that there was a phone call over the weekend along the same lines.
Don't get me wrong: being a temp can be great, and in this economy you can't turn down any job. But when death threats come along, it's time to leave. Thank god this is my last day! I'm hoping the responsible party doesn't start his or her day until after noon...
And eavesdropping this morning has led me to believe it is the most perfect time to leave this place. First, a local director was telling people that there was a grafitti death threat on the back of the biulding that needs to be painted over ASAP. She knows it's a death threat because she had a reformed tagger as a student once who told her the difference between harmless and dangerous tagging. Second, another one of the local directors was telling the her that there was a phone call over the weekend along the same lines.
Don't get me wrong: being a temp can be great, and in this economy you can't turn down any job. But when death threats come along, it's time to leave. Thank god this is my last day! I'm hoping the responsible party doesn't start his or her day until after noon...
Monday, July 5, 2010
Neighborhood fireworks
Ah, the 4th of July. A celebration for all Americans, complete with barbecues, beer, and buddies. Stores from Target to Costco to your local corner mart sell combo packs of legal fireworks, from the classic Sparkler to the ever annoying Piccolo Pete.
However, there are those who would much prefer a grand display of pyrotechnics, those who purchase the illegal fireworks in order to rival a city's official display of patriotism. I believe in Oregon and Washington these people drive out to the Indian Reservations to buy enormous explosions, where federal and state laws do not always apply. And when they come home from their adventure they share the fireworks with their neighbors - how sweet!
Now, it is my belief that every human being has a bit of pyromania in them, but there are some who use their brains when it comes to controlling the use of fire and there are some who do not. Those who do not use their brain are the ones who shoot the massive fireworks into the air from the middle of their street, where houses and trees and dogs have the potential for harm. These people also continue to shoot the fireworks into the air from the middle of their street all the way into the night and early morning. I know this because people in the surrounding neighborhood were doing this last night until at least 1:00 am, giving me a mini heart attack every time the pop from the firework's eruption echoed through the still night.
I believe I documented my concerns about this situation last year, and for the sake of being consistent I will do it again: WTF, people?! First, yes it's the 4th of July, but keep the firework displays to a reasonable hour; not everyone in the neighborhood is still interested in the bright colors and loud noises at midnight or beyond! Second, the reason professionals work in an open area, usually near water, is because pyrotechnics are dangerous and can catch things on fire. Please choose a less densely populated area before you shoot your illegal fireworks into the sky. Third, I love fireworks and think they are beautiful, but sometimes the idiots launching them are so self-involved that I want to storm down the street in my pajamas and slap some sense into them, and I almost did last night.
This was an uneventful 4th of July for me. It was my first day off from eight days in a row at the airport. I was very itchy from the damn bug bites on my legs. The weather was gray and not very summer-like. All in all I rather enjoyed my day indoors until the late night explosions. And because I knew they would go on late into the night I stayed up watching a movie until 12:30 am. I guess I wasn't in a very "4th of July" mood; it didn't feel like the 4th, and I didn't make any plans like I try to do. Perhaps next year I will be more adventurous and fun, and less of a Debbie Downer.
However, there are those who would much prefer a grand display of pyrotechnics, those who purchase the illegal fireworks in order to rival a city's official display of patriotism. I believe in Oregon and Washington these people drive out to the Indian Reservations to buy enormous explosions, where federal and state laws do not always apply. And when they come home from their adventure they share the fireworks with their neighbors - how sweet!
Now, it is my belief that every human being has a bit of pyromania in them, but there are some who use their brains when it comes to controlling the use of fire and there are some who do not. Those who do not use their brain are the ones who shoot the massive fireworks into the air from the middle of their street, where houses and trees and dogs have the potential for harm. These people also continue to shoot the fireworks into the air from the middle of their street all the way into the night and early morning. I know this because people in the surrounding neighborhood were doing this last night until at least 1:00 am, giving me a mini heart attack every time the pop from the firework's eruption echoed through the still night.
I believe I documented my concerns about this situation last year, and for the sake of being consistent I will do it again: WTF, people?! First, yes it's the 4th of July, but keep the firework displays to a reasonable hour; not everyone in the neighborhood is still interested in the bright colors and loud noises at midnight or beyond! Second, the reason professionals work in an open area, usually near water, is because pyrotechnics are dangerous and can catch things on fire. Please choose a less densely populated area before you shoot your illegal fireworks into the sky. Third, I love fireworks and think they are beautiful, but sometimes the idiots launching them are so self-involved that I want to storm down the street in my pajamas and slap some sense into them, and I almost did last night.
This was an uneventful 4th of July for me. It was my first day off from eight days in a row at the airport. I was very itchy from the damn bug bites on my legs. The weather was gray and not very summer-like. All in all I rather enjoyed my day indoors until the late night explosions. And because I knew they would go on late into the night I stayed up watching a movie until 12:30 am. I guess I wasn't in a very "4th of July" mood; it didn't feel like the 4th, and I didn't make any plans like I try to do. Perhaps next year I will be more adventurous and fun, and less of a Debbie Downer.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
How do you find a spider?
I have been subjected to pure torture this last week: bug bites. Now, I'm pretty sure there is a spider inflicting this cruelty, but I suppose it could some insect doing it as well. It's hard to identify the source when you never see it!
And these are itchy bites. I spend my day trying to not scratch, but alas I am unsuccessful. Have you ever had really itchy bug bites? It's misery. And you know you shouldn't scratch but it feels so damn good when you do! It's a little sick how good it feels to scratch them.
I have decided to spend the majority of today cleaning and hunting said creature of misery. I don't know where it is, or if it is even in the house at the moment. I cannot go on getting bit in the middle of the night like this. All of the bites are on my legs, and the total count increased last night from seven to eight. Seriously? Why bite me another time? Haven't you had enough of my blood or whatever it is you are trying to get from me? Perhaps this creature only bites people as a cruel joke and then watches as they suffer from the incessant itching.
I really hope I find this spider or bug. I plan on getting great satisfaction from killing it. And I'm not usually a violent person, but this means war.
And these are itchy bites. I spend my day trying to not scratch, but alas I am unsuccessful. Have you ever had really itchy bug bites? It's misery. And you know you shouldn't scratch but it feels so damn good when you do! It's a little sick how good it feels to scratch them.
I have decided to spend the majority of today cleaning and hunting said creature of misery. I don't know where it is, or if it is even in the house at the moment. I cannot go on getting bit in the middle of the night like this. All of the bites are on my legs, and the total count increased last night from seven to eight. Seriously? Why bite me another time? Haven't you had enough of my blood or whatever it is you are trying to get from me? Perhaps this creature only bites people as a cruel joke and then watches as they suffer from the incessant itching.
I really hope I find this spider or bug. I plan on getting great satisfaction from killing it. And I'm not usually a violent person, but this means war.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
WANTED: Portuguese lessons
Why my father never taught us Portuguese is beyond me. I wish he did. He should have.
Instead, I cannot communicate with our Avo (grandmother), except in some Spanish which doesn't always translate. I know what people are saying only sometimes, but I cannot for the life of me answer back! My brother and I sit there while the rest of the Portagees have a full conversation; we've mastered the art of zoning out from a lifetime of Sunday dinners at Avo's, which is sad.
I am jealous of people who are fluently bilingual. I could be one of those people, but I never got the chance! My mom says that when I was a little girl I would speak Portuguese all the time. My babysitters were my great aunt and uncle, talking to us in Portuguese and singing and dancing. I wish I could remember it all, because it sounds like a fun time.
As a result of my father's failing to teach us his mother tongue, I have tried to learn some Portuguese on my own. In college I found a free software program that taught me some basic words. That was a good start. Last summer I found Portuguese on CD lessons, which was even better!
The problem I have is finding continental Portuguese programs. Even that blasted Rosetta Stone software - which is supposed to be the best way to learn a language - only has Brazilian Portuguese. Damn Brazilian Portuguese.
One day I will find the necessary means to learn the language of my heritage. I am damned determined to do so. My children will learn it as well. It's not fair that my cousins all speak it, understand it, and my brother and I are mostly clueless at every holiday or family function. And it's not like my family moved to the States centuries ago. I'm a first generation Dutra in America! It's wrong that I don't know more about my culture and that I can't speak the language.
Suggestions are welcome on where to find CONTINENTAL PORTUGUESE lessons.
Instead, I cannot communicate with our Avo (grandmother), except in some Spanish which doesn't always translate. I know what people are saying only sometimes, but I cannot for the life of me answer back! My brother and I sit there while the rest of the Portagees have a full conversation; we've mastered the art of zoning out from a lifetime of Sunday dinners at Avo's, which is sad.
I am jealous of people who are fluently bilingual. I could be one of those people, but I never got the chance! My mom says that when I was a little girl I would speak Portuguese all the time. My babysitters were my great aunt and uncle, talking to us in Portuguese and singing and dancing. I wish I could remember it all, because it sounds like a fun time.
As a result of my father's failing to teach us his mother tongue, I have tried to learn some Portuguese on my own. In college I found a free software program that taught me some basic words. That was a good start. Last summer I found Portuguese on CD lessons, which was even better!
The problem I have is finding continental Portuguese programs. Even that blasted Rosetta Stone software - which is supposed to be the best way to learn a language - only has Brazilian Portuguese. Damn Brazilian Portuguese.
One day I will find the necessary means to learn the language of my heritage. I am damned determined to do so. My children will learn it as well. It's not fair that my cousins all speak it, understand it, and my brother and I are mostly clueless at every holiday or family function. And it's not like my family moved to the States centuries ago. I'm a first generation Dutra in America! It's wrong that I don't know more about my culture and that I can't speak the language.
Suggestions are welcome on where to find CONTINENTAL PORTUGUESE lessons.
Monday, June 28, 2010
IROPs and IHOP
IROP = irregular operation. For those of us working at PDX, an IROP is usually along the lines of a delayed flight. We have had quite a few delayed flights coming from New York JFK to Portland - probably something to do with the start of summer. When we have an IROP we have to wait until the flight comes in so we can deplane the passengers and be there available at the baggage claim. But this waiting business can be anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours! What do you do during that time?
Well, sometimes you sit around and read magazines or books. This usually happens during those shorter waiting periods. Sometimes you get take away and a Red Box movie for the wait. To date, I've seen "The Hangover" and part of "Good Hair" while waiting. Sometimes when coming back from picking up food you run into a friend at the airport waiting to pick someone up, and you have a nice chat to catch up on each others' lives. And sometimes you get to go to IHOP for dinner. Last night we got to go to IHOP, and we had the most entertaining server in the world. Jim became our new BFF, following along perfectly with our jests, even bringing us root beer floats! We decided that future scheduling should be determined by those nights Jim works at IHOP in case we have another IROP.
The problem with IROPs, though, is your brain isn't quite on it's A-game. So you take a little longer to do those tasks that usually would be done in a jiff. You forget to clock out at the end of the night because you're excited to finally leave for home. You eat whatever is laying around which makes you a little sleepy. Motor skills are also a little impaired, because who should be awake and working at that hour? And very infrequently you get to head home just as the morning crew is walking into the office. Plus, your brain can't register what day of the week it really is, because you started work on Sunday and you're getting off work on Monday, going to bed on Monday in the early morning and waking up on Monday but it feels like it should be Tuesday - it makes one week feel like two weeks, and no one really likes their work week to take twice as long as it should.
But I enjoy the camaraderie that comes from spending time with my fellow Crewmembers. We have fun, and there is always something interesting that comes out of our conversations (see: Conversations on the Employee Shuttle). It is the people that make the IROPs bearable.
Well, sometimes you sit around and read magazines or books. This usually happens during those shorter waiting periods. Sometimes you get take away and a Red Box movie for the wait. To date, I've seen "The Hangover" and part of "Good Hair" while waiting. Sometimes when coming back from picking up food you run into a friend at the airport waiting to pick someone up, and you have a nice chat to catch up on each others' lives. And sometimes you get to go to IHOP for dinner. Last night we got to go to IHOP, and we had the most entertaining server in the world. Jim became our new BFF, following along perfectly with our jests, even bringing us root beer floats! We decided that future scheduling should be determined by those nights Jim works at IHOP in case we have another IROP.
The problem with IROPs, though, is your brain isn't quite on it's A-game. So you take a little longer to do those tasks that usually would be done in a jiff. You forget to clock out at the end of the night because you're excited to finally leave for home. You eat whatever is laying around which makes you a little sleepy. Motor skills are also a little impaired, because who should be awake and working at that hour? And very infrequently you get to head home just as the morning crew is walking into the office. Plus, your brain can't register what day of the week it really is, because you started work on Sunday and you're getting off work on Monday, going to bed on Monday in the early morning and waking up on Monday but it feels like it should be Tuesday - it makes one week feel like two weeks, and no one really likes their work week to take twice as long as it should.
But I enjoy the camaraderie that comes from spending time with my fellow Crewmembers. We have fun, and there is always something interesting that comes out of our conversations (see: Conversations on the Employee Shuttle). It is the people that make the IROPs bearable.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Frustrations on my mind
If I could control many situations at once I would. It would be nice if people would do things my way because it is the better way. Or at least be respectful of the people and world around them!
The AeroBed saga: I should have fixed it ages ago, but I didn't, so I'm frustrated with myself. I don't know where the AeroBed patch kit went, so I'm frustrated with myself because I've been too smart again and put it someplace overly clever or simple. The liquid patch I got at Sports Authority didn't really work, so I'm frustrated that the guy I asked for help there didn't just tell me to go somewhere else instead of telling me "this should work." And then having the clan come in to town tonight, when they will need the bed, is stressful, because what if it doesn't work?
Clark College: Why do you have me sitting here at a desk amid construction! And why do people come here asking the same question over and over despite the fact that I have already answered that question? When can I go home? Why is the one full-time person doing homework instead of answering questions and helping me with desk issues? And why does she make assumptions that I know everything when I'm only working two days a week and was gone for a month?!
My body: I feel bloated. And I just noticed all these little veins on my legs that are not attractive, but maybe they are small enough that no one will notice. And my hair is totally uncooperative. And my muscles are super sore, but I don't know why. My body doesn't let me sleep past 10:00 am, even though I only went to bed at 2:00 am. My ears are having issues; still TBD if it is airport related or congestion related.
My mind: I over think things, and I don't know how to stop, which is super duper frustrating. Contingencies and to do lists and observations are overloading my brain. And it keeps going. At the same time, could there be a better way to organize my brain? Could it be true that humans are operating at a lower brain capacity than we could be?
Work schedule: Mostly I wish I had more time between jobs to get things ready or clean or generally accomplish more tasks. It's frustrating to have two three-hour blocks of time to get myself into gear. I appreciate having the Clark job, but life would be much more convenient without it.
PMS: What woman isn't frustrated with it? My major issue is the extreme fluctuation in moods that I thought was under control but is apparently not. I've had a seriously short fuse this last week. And seriously, those Midol commercials do not lie about the issues women face when it comes to that time of the month. I've wondered for some time now if I have a hormone imbalance. It's a possibility.
My neighbors: Granted, they don't know I work nights and try to sleep in as much as possible in the mornings; but when they vacuum at 8:30 I can hear it because our walls aren't as thick as they could be. And there is a reason we are not supposed to park in the driveway areas, so parking your car in front of your garage instead of in it makes it difficult for me to maneuver my car. And stop using the tanbark area as a sidewalk or phone conversation area or for your children to play games on, because it's right next to my house and I don't always appreciate the added noise or disturbance in The Force.
I better start working out because that would probably help me release some of the frustration into the universe instead of keeping it tensed up in my shoulders and neck.
The AeroBed saga: I should have fixed it ages ago, but I didn't, so I'm frustrated with myself. I don't know where the AeroBed patch kit went, so I'm frustrated with myself because I've been too smart again and put it someplace overly clever or simple. The liquid patch I got at Sports Authority didn't really work, so I'm frustrated that the guy I asked for help there didn't just tell me to go somewhere else instead of telling me "this should work." And then having the clan come in to town tonight, when they will need the bed, is stressful, because what if it doesn't work?
Clark College: Why do you have me sitting here at a desk amid construction! And why do people come here asking the same question over and over despite the fact that I have already answered that question? When can I go home? Why is the one full-time person doing homework instead of answering questions and helping me with desk issues? And why does she make assumptions that I know everything when I'm only working two days a week and was gone for a month?!
My body: I feel bloated. And I just noticed all these little veins on my legs that are not attractive, but maybe they are small enough that no one will notice. And my hair is totally uncooperative. And my muscles are super sore, but I don't know why. My body doesn't let me sleep past 10:00 am, even though I only went to bed at 2:00 am. My ears are having issues; still TBD if it is airport related or congestion related.
My mind: I over think things, and I don't know how to stop, which is super duper frustrating. Contingencies and to do lists and observations are overloading my brain. And it keeps going. At the same time, could there be a better way to organize my brain? Could it be true that humans are operating at a lower brain capacity than we could be?
Work schedule: Mostly I wish I had more time between jobs to get things ready or clean or generally accomplish more tasks. It's frustrating to have two three-hour blocks of time to get myself into gear. I appreciate having the Clark job, but life would be much more convenient without it.
PMS: What woman isn't frustrated with it? My major issue is the extreme fluctuation in moods that I thought was under control but is apparently not. I've had a seriously short fuse this last week. And seriously, those Midol commercials do not lie about the issues women face when it comes to that time of the month. I've wondered for some time now if I have a hormone imbalance. It's a possibility.
My neighbors: Granted, they don't know I work nights and try to sleep in as much as possible in the mornings; but when they vacuum at 8:30 I can hear it because our walls aren't as thick as they could be. And there is a reason we are not supposed to park in the driveway areas, so parking your car in front of your garage instead of in it makes it difficult for me to maneuver my car. And stop using the tanbark area as a sidewalk or phone conversation area or for your children to play games on, because it's right next to my house and I don't always appreciate the added noise or disturbance in The Force.
I better start working out because that would probably help me release some of the frustration into the universe instead of keeping it tensed up in my shoulders and neck.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Procrastination Station
So my family is coming into town tomorrow. I have not yet finished my tasks before their arrival, but I guess that's part of my method. I wait until the last minute to get things done.
Things I have done include:
Some of us work better under pressure. You would think that, after years of knowing this is not an effective method, I would have modified my technique to a more adult, more responsible approach. But it's so much easier to put something off until tomorrow instead of taking care of it today, isn't it? I'm pretty good at doing laundry on a regular basis (the thought "I'm running low on underwear" is a big help for this one); I always pay my bills on time (say no to bad credit!); and I maintain my car when it is scheduled.
But I may have turned over a new leaf. As my body would not let me go back to bed for the last 30 minutes before my alarm was scheduled to sound, I decided to wake up and start getting things going for the day. As a result, I had 30 extra minutes to accomplish some tasks, which meant that instead of rushing to get myself ready before heading off to work, I did the following:
And I don't really remember the last time I dusted. . .
Things I have done include:
- make cookie dough and cookies, three times
- shred and sort through all the papers laying around the house
- move the girls into my room
- change the sheets and make the beds
- get pillows down
- vacuum
- washed dishes (yay dishwashers!)
- sweep
- read President Obama's Commencement Address at Notre Dame
- other things of lesser priority, but they are more fun or interesting, so I do them instead
- patch the AeroBed that was chewed by plastic fanatic Buffy the rat last fall
- mop the first floor, which I haven't done in ages
- sweep again, because I have destructive girls and am a messy girl myself
- vacuum again, because I have destructive girls and am a messy girl myself
- clean sinks and toilets and showers
Some of us work better under pressure. You would think that, after years of knowing this is not an effective method, I would have modified my technique to a more adult, more responsible approach. But it's so much easier to put something off until tomorrow instead of taking care of it today, isn't it? I'm pretty good at doing laundry on a regular basis (the thought "I'm running low on underwear" is a big help for this one); I always pay my bills on time (say no to bad credit!); and I maintain my car when it is scheduled.
But I may have turned over a new leaf. As my body would not let me go back to bed for the last 30 minutes before my alarm was scheduled to sound, I decided to wake up and start getting things going for the day. As a result, I had 30 extra minutes to accomplish some tasks, which meant that instead of rushing to get myself ready before heading off to work, I did the following:
- prepared the third batch of cookie dough (peanut butter, deliciousness)
- put away the clothes that were apparently still in the dryer
- inflate the AeroBed to see if it would deflate, which it did :(
- washed the dishes from the cookie dough making
And I don't really remember the last time I dusted. . .
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Conversations on the Employee Shuttle
Numerous topics were discussed on the ride to the employee parking lot last night. These topics included:
- Perez Hilton possibly getting arrested for posting pictures of Miley Cyrus's hooha
- pointing out the man dancing in front of his van at the airport, and whether he is doing a pee dance or performing a scene from Flashdance
- the excessive contents of my purse (currently home to a box of Wheat Thins, puzzle book)
- "S*** my dad says" Twitter feed possibly being turned into a TV sitcom
- the trend of Haiku poems as Tweets
- creating Haiku poems to begin a Twitter account
- my apparent alcoholism?
- bringing butter to work for cookie baking purposes
Elevation is
an awesome song by U2
or maybe it's not
an awesome song by U2
or maybe it's not
And a line for a future Haiku poem was created: Memory like your liver
Things are also much more entertaining late at night/early in the morning when sleep is imminent and a large amount of energy has just been exerted cleaning the plane.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Ratt-iversary!
Buffy and Annabel cuddle up in their first days as DutrasIt was a year ago today that I adopted little Buffy and little Annabel. I went to The Tropical Hut to get two rats, not knowing anything other than the rats were cheap there and they had rats available. I knew one would be named Buffy. That was all. I had no idea that I would get two adorable little girls with two distinct personalities.
Buffy: Fate would have it that the little blonde rat waiting in The Tropical Hut was mine. And such an appropriate name, as her namesake is for the other blonde Buffy, who happens to be a vampire slayer. I don't know what Buffy does when I go to bed, but she is quite stubborn, agile, and vey determined when she sets her mind to it. She is also more of an alpha female, playfully pinning Annabel, stealing newspaper, and with a fetish for chewing cords and cardboard. Buffy is my leaper, accomplishing feats pole vaulters would only dream of, and impressing everyone who has ever seen her clear a one foot fence or jump from the couch to the ottoman. She is my adventurat. She definitely has her own agenda.
Annabel: My timid little girl. Saved from being snake food, Annabel has never been quite right, but she has always been very sweet. As a baby she was terrified of loud noises, so I had to be careful not to open mail or put away groceries or do the dishes as noises associated with those activities would send Annabel running for a hiding place of her choosing. In fact, she still does on occasion. She is needy, making sure she is always in eye-sight of me or her ratsitter. Annabel is very stealthy for her size; silent, in apparent possession of an invisible clock, quick and nimble, she has evaded me numerous times and made it to places she is not supposed to be. She is also extremely lazy and would rather sleep during romp time than pal around with Buffy.My girls have provided me such entertainment throughout the year. Yes, they are not the traditional pet, but they are amazing! We've never had any rats quite like these two girls, so there is always something new and exciting to encounter and learn with them. Granted, they most likely do not know the difference between today and any other day, except that they got a delicious feast for dinner and an extra yogurt drop for the day, but they are very smart and show their appreciation by being excited to see me.
Here's to Buffy and Annabel - may we have at least one more year together! And for your entertainment and mine, a video of Buffy's adventure into the criminal world. Please note the creepy Annabel in the background, a characteristic she has mastered.
Late flight, late night
I've been blessed with a great job in a time when a lot of people are having a hard time finding one. Hell, even actors we used to see in TV shows are doing commercials these days. I am very lucky that JetBlue liked my application enough to give me an interview, and it all went from there.
That being said, I'm exhausted! Almost every night the last week and a half has been a super delayed flight coming in, which means an even later flight for us working. For example, last night I didn't get home until 2:40 am, and last Thursday I didn't crawl into bed until 4:00 am! It wouldn't be such a problem if my internal alarm clock would shut itself off. I can't seem to sleep past 11:00 am, and for someone who needs about 10 hours of sleep things are starting to get difficult.
Some people in the world need the number of hours of sleep suggested by medical professionals: six to eight hours. Some need less than that, especially those of our parents' generation and older. Some, like me, need at least 10 hours. This is how the universe works. I love my bed. I love my sleep.
I have always needed a lot of sleep.
From infancy, in fact. My mom tells me the story of how I would fall asleep mid-breastfeeding and she would have to try to wake me up to finish. What can I say? I'm a sleeper. I can fall asleep most anywhere, in what sometimes appears to be the most awkward and uncomfortable positions known to man. But for the sake of getting a few extra winks that I missed out on the night before... I would do nothing else.
Maybe I will be able to recuperate some of this lost sleep when I switch over to the early morning shift. I know that going to bed even earlier than before will force me to deal with even more ridicule. I've come to terms with that. You make fun of me all you want; I'll have the last laugh when I'm fully rested and ready to work, and you're sipping on coffee and energy drinks just to make it through the day.
I miss those days... of full-restedness, without yawns, the ability to focus on the task at hand. Naps and the elixir of life (a.k.a., Dr. Pepper) will be had until order is restored to my sleeping patterns. Apparently the 8:00 pm to midnight shift is host to the most sleep deprived group of people. It doesn't really surprise me. On the plus side, at least I'm getting paid for those late nights.
That being said, I'm exhausted! Almost every night the last week and a half has been a super delayed flight coming in, which means an even later flight for us working. For example, last night I didn't get home until 2:40 am, and last Thursday I didn't crawl into bed until 4:00 am! It wouldn't be such a problem if my internal alarm clock would shut itself off. I can't seem to sleep past 11:00 am, and for someone who needs about 10 hours of sleep things are starting to get difficult.
Some people in the world need the number of hours of sleep suggested by medical professionals: six to eight hours. Some need less than that, especially those of our parents' generation and older. Some, like me, need at least 10 hours. This is how the universe works. I love my bed. I love my sleep.
I have always needed a lot of sleep.
From infancy, in fact. My mom tells me the story of how I would fall asleep mid-breastfeeding and she would have to try to wake me up to finish. What can I say? I'm a sleeper. I can fall asleep most anywhere, in what sometimes appears to be the most awkward and uncomfortable positions known to man. But for the sake of getting a few extra winks that I missed out on the night before... I would do nothing else. Maybe I will be able to recuperate some of this lost sleep when I switch over to the early morning shift. I know that going to bed even earlier than before will force me to deal with even more ridicule. I've come to terms with that. You make fun of me all you want; I'll have the last laugh when I'm fully rested and ready to work, and you're sipping on coffee and energy drinks just to make it through the day.
I miss those days... of full-restedness, without yawns, the ability to focus on the task at hand. Naps and the elixir of life (a.k.a., Dr. Pepper) will be had until order is restored to my sleeping patterns. Apparently the 8:00 pm to midnight shift is host to the most sleep deprived group of people. It doesn't really surprise me. On the plus side, at least I'm getting paid for those late nights.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Everybody loves Sting
Friday I saw Sting and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and it was FABULOUS! Part VH1 Storytellers. Part musical theater. Part big band. All great reasons to spend the money and see him perform for yourself.
Sting had the genius idea to back up his songwriting with the winds and strings and percussion of the Royal Philharmonic, and since the majority of his songs were in fact written by the man himself, you know he was the one responsible for composing and arranging the Orchestra music to compliment such hits as "Roxanne," "Englishman in New York," and "Fields of Gold." Some of the arrangements were so different and new that I wished they was available for purchase at the over-priced souvenirs stand or on the relatively reasonably priced iTunes or the very free and very illegal downloading online. Perhaps it will come out in the future...
Arlene Schnitzer was the perfect venue for such a performance: it's intimate, classy, and the layout of the seats is such that everyone has a great view of the stage... as long as the people in front of them sit back in their seats. I did not have this luxury for the first twenty or thirty minutes. I had to tap gently on the shoulder of the woman in front of me and ask her to stop leaning over into her significant other's seat as I could not see Sting. Though romantic gestures are lovely, they could be less drastic than sharing the seat of your partner. She seemed a bit annoyed - I was annoyed as well because not only was she leaning left, her partner was leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, obstructing my view as well - but she complied with my request. I had the support of the couple next to me, who agreed with me that it was inconvenient to have to look through someone's head in order to see Sting perform... if only I had the super powers to see through solid objects.
Sting is also a bit of a mumbler. The clever anecdotes he shared with the audience about his songwriting techniques and the meaning behind certain songs were hard to hear, which is interesting because we could hear his singing perfectly fine. Perhaps not so much a mumbler as a low talker.
In case you're wondering, the voice you hear on albums and radio is exactly like the voice you hear at the live performance, but there is something more soulful and magnificent about seeing him perform. It could have to do with the songwriting - as previously mentioned, he penned the music and lyrics for a good number of his songs - but you can feel the emotion behind every word he performed. I got goosebumps during some of his songs, and that's not just because it was quite chilly in the theater. I think it probably also had to do with the fact he had an entire orchestra behind him to give a little extra oomf. He even choreographed a few moves for the Orchestra do during the show, such as having the horns stand up and sing a little "oh oh" chorus; in particular, they were a very entertaining group of young men, especially the young man who through up a double fist pump, and the other young man who stuck the "rock on" hand gensture into the air as they were sitting down.
The overall experience made for an evening I'll never forget. Well done, Sting, well done. And excellent dance moves...
Sting had the genius idea to back up his songwriting with the winds and strings and percussion of the Royal Philharmonic, and since the majority of his songs were in fact written by the man himself, you know he was the one responsible for composing and arranging the Orchestra music to compliment such hits as "Roxanne," "Englishman in New York," and "Fields of Gold." Some of the arrangements were so different and new that I wished they was available for purchase at the over-priced souvenirs stand or on the relatively reasonably priced iTunes or the very free and very illegal downloading online. Perhaps it will come out in the future...
Arlene Schnitzer was the perfect venue for such a performance: it's intimate, classy, and the layout of the seats is such that everyone has a great view of the stage... as long as the people in front of them sit back in their seats. I did not have this luxury for the first twenty or thirty minutes. I had to tap gently on the shoulder of the woman in front of me and ask her to stop leaning over into her significant other's seat as I could not see Sting. Though romantic gestures are lovely, they could be less drastic than sharing the seat of your partner. She seemed a bit annoyed - I was annoyed as well because not only was she leaning left, her partner was leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, obstructing my view as well - but she complied with my request. I had the support of the couple next to me, who agreed with me that it was inconvenient to have to look through someone's head in order to see Sting perform... if only I had the super powers to see through solid objects.
Sting is also a bit of a mumbler. The clever anecdotes he shared with the audience about his songwriting techniques and the meaning behind certain songs were hard to hear, which is interesting because we could hear his singing perfectly fine. Perhaps not so much a mumbler as a low talker.
In case you're wondering, the voice you hear on albums and radio is exactly like the voice you hear at the live performance, but there is something more soulful and magnificent about seeing him perform. It could have to do with the songwriting - as previously mentioned, he penned the music and lyrics for a good number of his songs - but you can feel the emotion behind every word he performed. I got goosebumps during some of his songs, and that's not just because it was quite chilly in the theater. I think it probably also had to do with the fact he had an entire orchestra behind him to give a little extra oomf. He even choreographed a few moves for the Orchestra do during the show, such as having the horns stand up and sing a little "oh oh" chorus; in particular, they were a very entertaining group of young men, especially the young man who through up a double fist pump, and the other young man who stuck the "rock on" hand gensture into the air as they were sitting down.
The overall experience made for an evening I'll never forget. Well done, Sting, well done. And excellent dance moves...
Thursday, June 3, 2010
True Blood: What a laugh!
If you have been around the planet in the last year or two you've realized the population's obsession with vampires. It's translated into teen-cult books and movies (which I hear are not so good) and quite a few TV shows on the subject. A higher calibur of production and acting is involved with these shows, including a personal favorite, True Blood.
Now, by the phrase "what a laugh!" I mean it is actually quite funny... once you get past all the blood and sex and drugs and drama. I have heard a few people mention that if you were to add a laugh track to the show you would swear it was written as a comedy. It probably has to do with the clever writing of creator Alan Ball - what a guy :)
I watched season one the other week and found myself chuckling to the one liners Sookie slings at Eric, and laughing out loud at the beautiful but dim-witted Jason's remarks on anything, and enjoying the idea of the vampires' appreciation of a good pun. In fact, I found it a bit disturbing how much I was laughing considering the theme of the show and the amount of violence and gratuitious naked bodies (it is, afterall, HBO).
Now, since I do not have the abilities to be as clever with a computer as a good number of the rest of the world, I have provided you a little clip to reveal this comedic stylings of True Blood. If I remember correctly, someone took scenes from the show, renaming it "At Merlotte's" (because funny things happen on shows with a title like that): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5t_hKDfu7g
Credit where credit is due, the true comedienne of all things vampire is none other than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with major assistance from the Scooby Gang. Seven seasons of creative genius, I'd say.
Side note: if anyone from the show by chance reads this, I would like to recommend a doughnut shop to you. Why a doughnut shop? It's all in the name: Voodoo Doughnuts. Located in beautiful Portland, Ore., Voodoo features some of the most original and delicious doughnuts you've ever seen and tasted. Considering the topic of the show and the theme of the shop, it's a match made in heaven. Just the other day a woman boarded a flight with that distinct pink box, wrapped with string, official voodoo man and doughnut logo stamped on top, informing me that its contents may not make it home... I wouldn't blame her.
For that matter, anyone who would like a delicious snack/meal/dessert - enjoy the VooDoo that they do. I recommend the Captain My Captain doughnut, which - you guessed it - is topped in the cereal of the same name. There are other classics such as the Bacon Maple Bar; the classic Voodoo Doughnut, complete with pretzel stake to the jam filled heart; Tex-Ass doughnut, which if completed in less than 80 seconds is free (it's quite large); and many more, even some that are brand new. Check out the webiste for some other delicious ideas: http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/
Now, by the phrase "what a laugh!" I mean it is actually quite funny... once you get past all the blood and sex and drugs and drama. I have heard a few people mention that if you were to add a laugh track to the show you would swear it was written as a comedy. It probably has to do with the clever writing of creator Alan Ball - what a guy :)
I watched season one the other week and found myself chuckling to the one liners Sookie slings at Eric, and laughing out loud at the beautiful but dim-witted Jason's remarks on anything, and enjoying the idea of the vampires' appreciation of a good pun. In fact, I found it a bit disturbing how much I was laughing considering the theme of the show and the amount of violence and gratuitious naked bodies (it is, afterall, HBO).
Now, since I do not have the abilities to be as clever with a computer as a good number of the rest of the world, I have provided you a little clip to reveal this comedic stylings of True Blood. If I remember correctly, someone took scenes from the show, renaming it "At Merlotte's" (because funny things happen on shows with a title like that): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5t_hKDfu7g
Credit where credit is due, the true comedienne of all things vampire is none other than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with major assistance from the Scooby Gang. Seven seasons of creative genius, I'd say.
Side note: if anyone from the show by chance reads this, I would like to recommend a doughnut shop to you. Why a doughnut shop? It's all in the name: Voodoo Doughnuts. Located in beautiful Portland, Ore., Voodoo features some of the most original and delicious doughnuts you've ever seen and tasted. Considering the topic of the show and the theme of the shop, it's a match made in heaven. Just the other day a woman boarded a flight with that distinct pink box, wrapped with string, official voodoo man and doughnut logo stamped on top, informing me that its contents may not make it home... I wouldn't blame her.
For that matter, anyone who would like a delicious snack/meal/dessert - enjoy the VooDoo that they do. I recommend the Captain My Captain doughnut, which - you guessed it - is topped in the cereal of the same name. There are other classics such as the Bacon Maple Bar; the classic Voodoo Doughnut, complete with pretzel stake to the jam filled heart; Tex-Ass doughnut, which if completed in less than 80 seconds is free (it's quite large); and many more, even some that are brand new. Check out the webiste for some other delicious ideas: http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
One month late, but better than never
As I was out of town for a good part of May, I was unable to really blog. Well, that's a lie - I had internet connection, but I was lazy. More busy than lazy really. It sounds like I'm making excuses, but really I was busy. Learning about life as an Airport Operations Crewmember for JetBlue is extensive and intense. Good thing, though, because it makes that first day a little less intimidating. A little less.
Some things to know about Orlando, or what I saw of Orlando:
1. Walgreens has everything you could ever need. From sunscreen to snacks, notebooks to postcards, toiletries to mini highlighters. Walgreens is my new favorite store...
2. If you are fair-skinned, like me, you need to wear sunscreen everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE! There is the potential to burn in the 15 minutes it takes you to walk from your hotel to Chili's and back. I am speaking for experience. Sadly, I am not exaggerating - I wish I was. I guess I'm just that white.
3. It is humid. You hear about how humid it is, but it's even more humid than that. And we were there in early May. Imagine what it would be like if it was the middle of summer...
4. It is hard to see an alligator in it's "natural" environment. I kept looking, as Florida is apparently full of gators, but I did not see one strolling across the street, and I did not see one on the side of the road with it's jaws wide open, as the various shuttle drivers told us they had seen.
5. TGIF has the most delicious ribs. You would not think it, but if you are hungry in Orlando you should go to TGIF. Or anywhere I suppose. Surprisingly good.
We'll call those the top five tidbits to know about Orlando, but that's mostly if you go to Orlando for training or work and are looking for a few bits of information or advice. Walking is also a great way to get around if you are staying close enough to the restaurants and stores. The evening is truly the time to walk about.
Things I've learned the first week or two on the job (and for the record, these are personal opinions and general observations, not those of JetBlue):
1. There are appropriate things to use the seat-back pocket for, which include: temporary holding your water bottle, temporary storing your magazine, temporary place to put your trash.
2. There are inappropriate things to use the seat-back pocket for, which include: dirty diapers, used gum on the safety cards, and squishy napkins or tissues.
3. Cleaning the airplanes is fun - who would have known?
4. Those two dollar headsets apparently are disposable, as many people leave them behind.
5. All those magazines, books, and other reading materials left on airplanes are stored in the office for the reading pleasure of the crew. As a result, we are more informed about the world of pop culture and current events (more so pop culture).
Apparently I'm a fan of listing things in fives today. And telling people about how awesome JetBlue is.
If you are jetting anytime soon through Portland International Airport, and it's a night flight (which means you're either heading to New York or coming in from Long Beach/New York, see if I'm working and maybe I'll be able to round up a pair of wings for you ;)
Some things to know about Orlando, or what I saw of Orlando:
1. Walgreens has everything you could ever need. From sunscreen to snacks, notebooks to postcards, toiletries to mini highlighters. Walgreens is my new favorite store...
2. If you are fair-skinned, like me, you need to wear sunscreen everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE! There is the potential to burn in the 15 minutes it takes you to walk from your hotel to Chili's and back. I am speaking for experience. Sadly, I am not exaggerating - I wish I was. I guess I'm just that white.
3. It is humid. You hear about how humid it is, but it's even more humid than that. And we were there in early May. Imagine what it would be like if it was the middle of summer...
4. It is hard to see an alligator in it's "natural" environment. I kept looking, as Florida is apparently full of gators, but I did not see one strolling across the street, and I did not see one on the side of the road with it's jaws wide open, as the various shuttle drivers told us they had seen.
5. TGIF has the most delicious ribs. You would not think it, but if you are hungry in Orlando you should go to TGIF. Or anywhere I suppose. Surprisingly good.
We'll call those the top five tidbits to know about Orlando, but that's mostly if you go to Orlando for training or work and are looking for a few bits of information or advice. Walking is also a great way to get around if you are staying close enough to the restaurants and stores. The evening is truly the time to walk about.
Things I've learned the first week or two on the job (and for the record, these are personal opinions and general observations, not those of JetBlue):
1. There are appropriate things to use the seat-back pocket for, which include: temporary holding your water bottle, temporary storing your magazine, temporary place to put your trash.
2. There are inappropriate things to use the seat-back pocket for, which include: dirty diapers, used gum on the safety cards, and squishy napkins or tissues.
3. Cleaning the airplanes is fun - who would have known?
4. Those two dollar headsets apparently are disposable, as many people leave them behind.
5. All those magazines, books, and other reading materials left on airplanes are stored in the office for the reading pleasure of the crew. As a result, we are more informed about the world of pop culture and current events (more so pop culture).
Apparently I'm a fan of listing things in fives today. And telling people about how awesome JetBlue is.
If you are jetting anytime soon through Portland International Airport, and it's a night flight (which means you're either heading to New York or coming in from Long Beach/New York, see if I'm working and maybe I'll be able to round up a pair of wings for you ;)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Clearly forgot I had a blog
I have been doing a different version on facebook which I call "Observations of the last week." In fact, if you are friends with me on facebook you will notice that I have Observations on there from my last blog entry until now. Not sure who I'm apologizing to, but sorry about the delay in posting; I've been distracted in life recently.
Here's what's been going on:
August 2009: Left the cushy life of an Assistant Hall Director at the University of Portland at a time when the economy was in the crapper. Wise decision? Well, though I did enjoy my job I needed to get away from the menial complaints of students and the petty arguments of their lives. I probably could have hung on for one more year, but would I have been happy? In the two years I was at UP I managed to anger two students into hating me, face-plant and black out in the shower due to low blood pressure which resulted in a trip to the hospital, choreograph a reproduction of a scene from Enchanted, and impress many people with my creativity and organization. Some fun times were had, but it was time to move on into the world of the unfamiliar.
Life of unemployment, September 2009 to March 2010: Well, I did keep busy, but for the first time in over two years I had time to do nothing and relax. Went to Disneyland - forgot how fabulous that place is! My connections to UP remained as I helped them with a few projects. Put those photography skills to good use with taking pictures of life in the residence halls. They are being used all the time, and if you visit the ResLife part of the UP website you can see my work. I got to spend more time with my little girls, Buffy and Annabel, the craziest and most spoiled rats in the world. I applied to a bunch of jobs; heard back from maybe two. I did get to watch countless episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" and developed a strange love of Disney channel programming (it's so clean and goodhearted!), stay up all hours if I wanted to, sleep in if I wanted to. Had to watch my spending, though.
Employed! March 2010: I'm definitely working below my intelligence level at the moment. Office/welcome desk work is great if you have more to do that sit at your computer and blog or chat or stare off into space. In fact, I'm at work right now, and they don't seem to care that I'm blogging. There isn't a lot of structure or discipline; expectations are low for what they expect from us; and I'm constantly asking for them for more to do. It's almost like stealing, because I really don't do much but they are paying me for it. It's the Clark College version of the front desk of a UP residence hall, meaning a student should really have this job. I generally am disappointed in current performance levels and would love to provide more structure and organization to the desk positions. Even the full time person doesn't have much to do! But luckily...
April 2010: Jetblue came calling, and I said yes! I'm leaving next week to go to the training center in Orlando, Fla., where they will teach me all about being a JetBlue employee. I'm pretty frickin' excited. It's a new adventure: I know no one; I've never worked in this type of industry; and I got the job without any connections. It's sure going to be an interesting ride. At the same time...
Glee auditions: one of my favorite shows is auditioning for new cast members. Since I knew as soon as the show aired that I wanted to be a part of it I, of course, auditioned. Well, by audition I mean they are having people submit videos of themselves singing specific songs. I don't know if they are watching all the videos, just the ones with the most votes, if votes mean that they have priority. I know that if my life led me to singing and performing again I would be so happy. I love to sing! I love to perform! I've realized in the last couple of weeks that it is truly what makes me happy in life, but there are so many struggling actors in the world and I do not have the guts to risk it and try to find work. Plus I don't know where to start. If Glee producers decided I was worth the risk, then what? I'm sure of the thousands of videos I'm probably one of the few slightly above average performers, but whether that's good enough to snag the role I don't know. I know I want it. Heck, if I don't get it I'll find a community theater and start performing again, some sort of creative outlet.
Decision time: "Observations of the last week" will premiere here at Dutranation next week. I've struggled with the last few because I have not been observing as much as I did when I was unemployed and had the time to sit around noticing life. Guess I need to be a more active participant while I'm working... no, I just need to write things down when I notice them.
Here's what's been going on:
August 2009: Left the cushy life of an Assistant Hall Director at the University of Portland at a time when the economy was in the crapper. Wise decision? Well, though I did enjoy my job I needed to get away from the menial complaints of students and the petty arguments of their lives. I probably could have hung on for one more year, but would I have been happy? In the two years I was at UP I managed to anger two students into hating me, face-plant and black out in the shower due to low blood pressure which resulted in a trip to the hospital, choreograph a reproduction of a scene from Enchanted, and impress many people with my creativity and organization. Some fun times were had, but it was time to move on into the world of the unfamiliar.
Life of unemployment, September 2009 to March 2010: Well, I did keep busy, but for the first time in over two years I had time to do nothing and relax. Went to Disneyland - forgot how fabulous that place is! My connections to UP remained as I helped them with a few projects. Put those photography skills to good use with taking pictures of life in the residence halls. They are being used all the time, and if you visit the ResLife part of the UP website you can see my work. I got to spend more time with my little girls, Buffy and Annabel, the craziest and most spoiled rats in the world. I applied to a bunch of jobs; heard back from maybe two. I did get to watch countless episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" and developed a strange love of Disney channel programming (it's so clean and goodhearted!), stay up all hours if I wanted to, sleep in if I wanted to. Had to watch my spending, though.
Employed! March 2010: I'm definitely working below my intelligence level at the moment. Office/welcome desk work is great if you have more to do that sit at your computer and blog or chat or stare off into space. In fact, I'm at work right now, and they don't seem to care that I'm blogging. There isn't a lot of structure or discipline; expectations are low for what they expect from us; and I'm constantly asking for them for more to do. It's almost like stealing, because I really don't do much but they are paying me for it. It's the Clark College version of the front desk of a UP residence hall, meaning a student should really have this job. I generally am disappointed in current performance levels and would love to provide more structure and organization to the desk positions. Even the full time person doesn't have much to do! But luckily...
April 2010: Jetblue came calling, and I said yes! I'm leaving next week to go to the training center in Orlando, Fla., where they will teach me all about being a JetBlue employee. I'm pretty frickin' excited. It's a new adventure: I know no one; I've never worked in this type of industry; and I got the job without any connections. It's sure going to be an interesting ride. At the same time...
Glee auditions: one of my favorite shows is auditioning for new cast members. Since I knew as soon as the show aired that I wanted to be a part of it I, of course, auditioned. Well, by audition I mean they are having people submit videos of themselves singing specific songs. I don't know if they are watching all the videos, just the ones with the most votes, if votes mean that they have priority. I know that if my life led me to singing and performing again I would be so happy. I love to sing! I love to perform! I've realized in the last couple of weeks that it is truly what makes me happy in life, but there are so many struggling actors in the world and I do not have the guts to risk it and try to find work. Plus I don't know where to start. If Glee producers decided I was worth the risk, then what? I'm sure of the thousands of videos I'm probably one of the few slightly above average performers, but whether that's good enough to snag the role I don't know. I know I want it. Heck, if I don't get it I'll find a community theater and start performing again, some sort of creative outlet.
Decision time: "Observations of the last week" will premiere here at Dutranation next week. I've struggled with the last few because I have not been observing as much as I did when I was unemployed and had the time to sit around noticing life. Guess I need to be a more active participant while I'm working... no, I just need to write things down when I notice them.
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