Tuesday, July 31, 2007

More Celebrity De-Humanizing

Has anyone seen this site? Maybe you yourself are playing along!!

I'm sorry, but it really disturbs me!

Monday, July 30, 2007

I'm Almost Home

The moving process has officially begun and hopefully by this evening, I will be out of my parent's house and into my very own. Thanks to the generous help of my family on Friday evening I was able to move everything out of my storage shed and into my new apartment and by tonight I will have all my furniture moved out of my bedroom at the 'renties pad in B-Town. I'm feeling a bit stressed as I obviously have a lot of unpacking and settling to do, but it's going to have to wait a few more weeks as I leave for the Sturgis Bike Rally on Wednesday of this week. I hate the feeling of being unsettled, it's not good for my chi. I need to feel settled, and centered otherwise my mood becomes irritable and I get depressed. Seriously. I just can't wait for all this work travel to be over with and all this moving to be finished so that i can sit and relax...and just be. Ahhh, the feeling of being.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Shame On Me

You know what pisses me off? Last night, my brother and I got into a discussion over dinner about Thunder and it's origins. Without hesitation, I began discussing how the clouds crash together in the air because of something to do with the high and low pressure and then they...I stopped as I saw my brother staring me straight in the face trying desperately not to laugh.

"What"?

"Do you REALLY still believe that?"

"Isn't that what happens? I learned that in like third grade. I've known it for years. In fact, I can still remember the tiny exercise that my teacher had us...."

"No Christi"

He proceeded to explain to me what really happens when we hear thunder and I wanted to curl in a corner and die at how embarrassed I was. ALL THESE YEARS believing a LIE!

Bound and determined not to let it happen again, I went on an hour long Internet search of Thunder, Lighting, and all things associated with said storms and I came to the conclusion that my brother was in fact right...and I was sadly mistaken.

But it makes me so incredibly mad! As a young child, your educational needs are put into the hands of your teacher in front of you and you're trusting that the information they are providing you is accurate and true. I realize that as an adult we are taught to never take information at face value and to discover the truth on our own, but at the age of 10 how much questioning do you really know how to do? I sure as hell didn't and therefore I took in what I was taught, studied the information I needed to know, and regurgitated it in test format for my teacher to grade and give me that big ol' pretty sticker with a "good job" marked in red ink beside it. And that was it, I never thought of it again. I went on with life, carrying with me the "A" answer I gave on the test, never thinking about it again..until last night.

I consider myself an educated individual which is why it embarrasses me immensely to know that I took another aspect of my education for granted. I trusted a single source as fact.

Stupid Christi.

And stupid third grade teacher for misleading me =)

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Google Rocks

According to my new sitemeter, somebody wandered over to my blog because of this song lyric:

this time i'm going to let it all come out this time i'm going to stand up and shout i'm going to do things my way its my way my way or the high way

It's only natural a Limp Bizkit song would lead someone to my blog =)

Oh, and I probably should give Krista proper acknowledgement for this post idea. =)

It's Not So Fond For Everyone

I sometimes wonder if my high school experience would have been any different, if certain factors were changed throughout those four years of school. What if I had never dated one of the “hot boys” or my mom had never taught me how to properly apply makeup. What if I had a wooden leg or hair on my face or was 150 pounds heavier? What if I dressed like a boy, had uncontrollable acne, or walked with a hunch in my back. Would I still have had the same friends, the same experiences, the same unforgettable memories?

I’d like to think the answer would be yes. That no matter what, my experiences would remain unchanged and my friends that I made would remain my friends no matter what. I mean, I’m still me right? And our class wasn’t like all the other high school classes that you read about in books and see in movies. We didn’t push kids in lockers or tease them because they were different. We didn’t throw spitballs at them at lunch or trip them in the halls while they were walking. The lines between “cool” and “uncool” remained obsolete. There wasn’t a popular crowd or a nerdy crowd. We all just kind of blended together. You could be who you wanted to be, friends with who you wanted, and that was okay with us...with ALL of us.

Or was it?

I can remember standing in our grand football stadium, cheering on our Burlington Demons during our Homecoming game my junior year of High School. I, dressed in my pom-pom uniform, was giddy with joy as my boyfriend hugged me from behind and we chatted with friends as the Color Guard took the field during half time. Moments later, a group of my fellow classmates began cheering loudly and mocking someone on the field. I turned to see what all the fuss was about and there, at the edge of the field stood a boy one year my senior dressed in satin and sequins, holding and twirling his flag high and proud. He smiled as he “danced” to the beat of our high school marching band and looked so proud that he was out there doing something he loved so much, even if it wasn’t exactly the “cool” thing for a guy his age to be doing. Travis was one of the few openly gay students in my high school and for the first time in my life, I witnessed the intolerance that my school held. As the marching band finished their song, the Color Guard turned towards the crowd and began to walk off the field, just in time for the boys in my class to combine their efforts, and toss the small souvenir footballs that had been given out at the night’s game, directly at Travis’s head. They laughed and cheered as each football took its turn, hitting him in the back, in the leg, and in the face. I remember the anger I felt as the last football had been released and these boys that I had called my “friends” looked so proud at what they had done. I glanced down at Travis, now walking away from our section of the stands, and I couldn’t help but feel overcome with such sadness for him. How absolutely horrifying that must feel to be singled out and humiliated in front of hundreds of peers and their parents.

I quickly pulled myself away from Dave’s grip and stormed directly over to the boys in my class, hoping that my angry words would affect them in some way. But they fell on deaf ears and I found myself a few minutes later depressed and sad that I could do nothing to save Travis from sheer embarrassment.

I don’t know if there were more stories like this in my high school. I never thought of my class or my school as being cliquey and mean, but I could just be naive to it all. Regardless, it’s so sad to me that a high school experience can be completely altered, simply by how you look or what hobbies you choose to partake in. I consider myself very lucky every single day that I can look back on my four years at BHS with fondness but it makes me sad to think that there are children who wake up every single day hating school and everyone in it. They’re depressed, and inverted, and occasionally angry and suicidal. Some drop out, turn to drugs, or shoot up their schools. And a lot of it has to do with the simple fact that they just don’t, “fit in”.

How do we change that? How do we teach our children to be accepting of ALL people and to not punish those people who don’t have similar interests as us? How do we change a school system that praises the popular and ignores the rest? How do we ensure that all of our children have the chance at a happy educational career?

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Number Of The Day: 400

Do you guys want to hear something absolutely startling?

Ever since I decided I was going to turn over a new leaf, and teach myself how to save money and spend less I have been paying careful attention to where my money is going and in some cases, documenting said money into a spending journal (read: scratch paper on my desk at work). Taking it one step further, I also went through my bank statements yesterday and consolidated all of my expenses into categories (Bills, Dining Out, Starbucks, Etc) just to see where most of my money is going. I am seriously not kidding about the following statement:

Every month I spend close to $400 on eating out alone.

$400!!!!! Can you guys even imagine throwing away that much money on a monthly basis? And I wonder why throughout this period at my parent's house I wasn't able to save nearly as much money as I had wanted to. $400 is just absurd. I've never heard of such a ridiculous thing! I've always been told from my significant others that "I've never eaten out as much in my entire life as I have since I started dating you" but I always assumed everyone was just exaggerating. After all I didn't think I ate out THAT much.

But my $400 dollar a month restaurant bill seems to prove me wrong.

I am SO thankful that I started doing that little exercise because without it, I seriously don't think I would have ever changed my habits! I never in a million years would have imagined that my love of restaurants was having such a dramatic effect on my checkbook. I'm excited to move into my new apartment and start grocery shopping again, and cooking for myself and hopefully saving a little more money now that I understand how much I can be saving by doing so.

It may be a wake up call a little late in the game, but at least I'm up now.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The ONLY Mention of Harry Potter You Will Probably Ever See On Here

Okay, I know I am setting myself up to be pelted by e-rocks but I am willing to take that chance because this just has to get off of my chest otherwise I may blow.

I am so sick and tired of Harry Potter. If I have to see one more blog post (mine doesn't count =) ), one more news story, one more poster broadcasting the release of ANOTHER friggin' book I am going to go ballistic.

Harry Potter has taken over the world. If he could run for president, I bet everyone would wait in line to vote for him.

Can the books really be THAT good? I mean really. Were Beanie Babies really THAT valuable? Was the Furby really THAT cool? And seriously, does the world really need another sci-fi obsession? Wasn't star-wars enough?

But I digress. The Furby was pretty damn cool, and I do give JKRowling a ridiculous amount of credit for accomplishing what she has. I mean hell, she's making reading FUN again...for everyone!!!

Maybe if I actually read the books I'd have a different opinion and maybe if I gave the movies another shot I'd be more willing to accept the fact that Harry Potter and his friends really are cool people worth every 4 hour line. But I think you'll have a hard time convincing me that ANYTHING needs this much hype, unless there's some cure for the incurable disease.

I just can't wait until this whole thing has blown over, the depression of the final book has finally had it's chance to pass on through, and the world can get back to it's regularily scheduled program.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Another Post Doncha Know

You know that one language stereotype that Wisconsin has? The one where we all speak using words like “Yoder hay” (if I even spelt that right), “Doncha know” and “you betcha”? I have spent the majority of my adult life defending the Wisconsin name and adamantly sticking to my guns in saying that we do NOT talk like that. After all, I have lived in Wisconsin almost my entire life and I have yet to meet someone who has said any of the above three words, let alone all three of them repeatedly. Sure we say our “o’s” a little funny and I’ll admit that the word Bubbler does exist in my vocabulary, but I never understood where the stereotype came from!

And then, I spent the weekend in Fond Du Lac/Oshkosh and I realized just how right on the stereotype is.

You guys, I’m not kidding when I tell you that on an hourly basis, while sitting at the softball fields, I heard someone yell out “Oh you betcha” or “sure, sure”. I even heard a few “Oh for the Christ’s” thrown in there and I couldn’t help but laugh each and every time I heard them because seriously…who talks like that, really! What’s funny about it all is that I lived in Oshkosh for almost a year and I don’t remember EVER hearing people talk like that, but now that I’ve been out of there for a number of years it’s more prominent to me than ever!

Sure I always giggle when my Oshkosh friends call me and I can hear their new “northern” accents becoming thicker and thicker but never have I heard them use the word “betcha”. But this weekend I realized that people DO say it, just north of my “neck of the woods”! Every time I heard someone say “Oh sure, sure, you betcha” I would laugh at them thinking they were obviously joking, but after about the third time I realized they were not in fact mocking the stereotype, but they WERE the stereotype.

*pause*

*blank stare*

Wait, you really do talk like that don’t you?

I’m glad to have gotten out of there before I adopted the language myself, but I can definitely appreciate it from afar! Sure it sounds funny, and it makes me giggle when I hear it, but I love it because it’s Wisconsin and this fine state of ours wouldn’t be the same without them.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Apartment Woes No Longer

I got an apartment, I got an apartment, I got an apartment!!!!!!

I

Got

an Apartment.

After months, and months of searching and stressing out I am FINALLY going to be moved out of my parents house and into the CUTEST apartment!! Unfortunatley the claw foot tub place didn't exactly work out but I found a bigger and better place in Bayview that I just adore. It has a huge kitchen with a porch extending out into my cute little backyard, a bedroom off the kitchen, hard wood floors and a carpeted loft bedroom. Mmmhhmmm. Home Sweet Home.

You guys have no idea how amazing it feels. I've been at home for ALMOST a year now and I have hated every single second of it. Not that there's anything wrong with my parents because they really are two of the greatest people ever! But after living on my own for so long, and then suddenly being thrown back into their house, with very little space to call "my own", I quickly became miserable as I pined for the streets of Milwaukee that I adore so much.

But no longer. On Monday, I will sign the lease to my Bayview apartment and hopefully in the next week or two I will be completely moved in and ready to throw that house warming party I've been planning since I moved back in with the 'renties.

I seriously cannot wait. The excitement cannot be contained.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

A Golfer I Am

I’ve always said that the best job I’ve ever had was the three years that I worked at the Golf Course (two years at Geneva National Golf Club and one year at Hawksview Golf Club, both in Lake Geneva). I loved getting up bright and early in the summer morning, and pulling around the bend to the clubhouse with the sprinklers misting in the distance. My love of golf began in the morning with the smell of expensive leather golf bags perched high in the pro shop and ended as I turned off the Masters Tournament on the TV at night. I loved talking handicaps, and course slopes with the members of the Golf Club and I loved the superiority I felt when I told golfers “90 degree rule today out there. Have to keep our greens alive!” Yes, life at the golf course was heavenly…and I wasn’t even a golfer.

Until now.

Summer 2007 marks the official date that I, Christi N. Anderson picked up her first golf club and hit a little white ball (okay I’m not going to lie…it was pink) across a fairway and (eventually) onto the putting green. It was AWESOME! And you know what? I didn’t suck half as bad as I thought I was going to. In fact, if I do say so myself, I think I was quite the natural, which is a huge accomplishment considering I’ve never been “natural” at ANYTHING! My dad, who has been golfing for like 20 years, said my swing looks like I’ve been doing it all my life and when I actually managed to hit the ball…it went straight! STRAIGHT! And sometimes it even went far! It was so much fun. I’ve been itching to go to the driving range now and practice up on some of the techniques I was taught throughout my nine holes on the Grand Geneva Highlands course.

Thinking back to my years working at golf courses I can now fully understand why working there was such a joy, because people were there to do something that they truly enjoy doing. And it’s really a lot of fun! It’s no wonder it would be a happy place to work! I can’t wait to eventually head back to the establishments that I hold so dear in my heart only this time as one of them…a true golfer.

Not just a girl in the pro shop =)

Monday, July 16, 2007

Let Me See If You Can Run It, Run It

I just got back from the most UNBELIEVABLE run through the Washington Highlands here in Milwaukee. I think I heard that the Mayor has a house in there, but I could be wrong on that. Regardless of what political figure does or doesn't live there, the neighborhood is by far one of my Milwaukee favorites, and I welcome the opportunity to discover it on my own two feet any day!

One of the things I love most about this city, is the abundance of adorable neighborhoods, all within such close proximity to one another. It's unfortunate that the city itself is being overcome by poverty and crime, because there are so many beautiful places to be seen. Between the Highlands, and Bayview, the Eastside and the Third Ward, Milwaukee has some amazing places to discover. Not to mention the close bording cities such as Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, and Wauwatosa that remind you, "Someday, I'll be rich enough to own one of those houses!"

Oh and speaking of being rich, can I PLEASE have Victoria Beckhams hair cut..now! Thank you.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Home Sweet Home

AND, I'm home. Nashville was great, although I didn't really get a chance to see much of it. It's sad to think that I was in such a fabulous city (or so I've heard) and the most I saw of it was from the window of my taxi cab while heading to eat. I did get a chance to see the Grand Ol' Opry though so at least I can say that much about my week there. Oh AND, round two of my new found flight status....FABULOUS! Yes, my return flight was equally as stress free as my flight there. I'm back everyone! =)

Back in Milwaukee news, I put in an application for an apartment today. It's about flippin' time right?! The selling point of this apartment...a stand alone claw foot tub. Pretty sure, it's my dream bathroom and I'm super excited about it. I reminds me of those candle commercials where the women are sprawled out in their tubs with their legs hanging over both sides and the bubbles are overflowing the tub while they relax to the sweet smell of lavender glade candles...I'm hoping that will be me as of August 1st. Oh yeah, and the owner has two pugs. TWO....PUGS. I think I was a bit biased there as well. I only hope I get it. There's a lot of interest in the apartment and I don't think I was the first to get my application in. But I guess we'll see!!!

Friday, July 06, 2007

A Milestone

Today, marks the first time in well over three years that I got onto a plane...worry free. HORRAY! It felt so good to board that plane this morning and actually enjoy the 1hr 15min. flight to Nashville, TN.

I gazed out my little airplane window at the cities moving quickly below me. I followed I-94 Eastbound until it hit Chicago and I smiled thinking how different it all looked from 30,000 feet in the air. I found myself saying silently, "Look that's the exit I would take to my apartment", or "so THAT'S the direction I'm going when I merge onto that highway!" You sure do get a brilliant perspective from way up there!! I guess I wouldn't know considering I've spent the last 50 airplane trips huddled in the fetal position with tears in my eyes.

But not today! =)

Nashville is great so far. The people are SO fantastic and this hotel you guys, A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. If you haven't heard of them before, check out their website. Whenever I travel for work we always stay at one of their facilities and I must say with each city I become more and more impressed with the establishments. They're like Vegas hotels, without the gambling!!!

Sadly, I'm being charged $.40 a minute to sit here and update my blog so I must end this quickly. But I just wanted to check in and update seeing as how I'm going to be pretty busy here for the next two weeks. I'll try to come back as soon as I can!!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

A Penny Saved is a Concept I Just Don't Understand

Okay two things. 1.) This is my 150th post. woot woot! I'm not really one for anniversaries, or significant numbers so I'm not going to do anything special for this particular post (even though I did make a super fun "100 things about me" list for my 100th post...but that was more so because I like excuses to talk about myself...and the 100th post seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that).

2.) Isn't it ironic that you have to spend money to get a book about personal finance? Okay maybe I'm misusing the word "irony" in this situation but regardless, it sucks that I have to spend even more money (that I don't necessarily have) to learn about how to not spend so much of it!

I have money issues, this is no secret, and for the past few months I have repeatedly complained to this blog, to friends and family, to co-workers, and to anyone that will listen really, about my financial troubles. But the truth of the matter is, I truly have nobody to blame but myself. I spend as if I can...and I totally can't. I love martini bars with the girls and expensive dinners on the weekends. I love driving in the Cabby as often and for as long as I possibly can, and don't think twice when I re-fill my gas tank twice, sometimes three times a week, with the $35 expensive fuel. I eat out 5 times a week for lunch, and occasionally even more than that on the weekends. I buy $250 pairs of jeans, and $200 high heeled shoes and I sadly spend even more than that on my hair every three months. I buy drinks for others when I'm out, go on Vacations that I can't afford, and don't think twice about losing the few dollars that I put through the wash on a daily basis. Yes, the word budget is definitley not one that is in my vocabulary and if I don't start making changes right now while I still can, I'm going to be in major trouble later in life.

Thankfully the only debt I have is one hefty student loan payment each month.

I don't really have a clue on where to start budgeting and that whole investing concept and 401K and blah blah...it frightens me really. But I KNOW that I need to start thinking about these things. I am 25 after all, not 15. SO, I'm starting things off with a trip to Barnes and Noble this evening to purchase some much needed guidance on how to begin my personal finance future and hopefully in the next few months, this blog will consist of POSITIVE money posts, as opposed to the traditional ramblings about how I can't afford the apartment of my dreams because I had to buy a new handbag last month instead =)