Baby Stepping My Way

A Complaint Free World Would Be Nice

2008-04-22T20:10:00.005-05:00

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude; don't complain." - Maya Angelou

It is that quote that welcomes you when you log onto A Complaint Free World and it pretty much sums up the basis for my entire post. I stumbled upon the website after hearing a story about a Kansas City Pastor who embarked on a 21 day journey to be complaint free; no gossiping, no criticism, no complaining of any kind...and he invited his parishioners to join in the task. Participants were issued a purple bracelet, similar to the yellow "Live Strong" bracelets, to remind them of their commitment. If they caught themselves complaining, the bracelet would be moved to the other arm, and the 21 days would begin again in it's entirety. It took this pastor three and a half months to complete a 21 day run of no complaining.

Can you believe how tough a seemingly simple task is?

Since then, over 5 million bracelets have been given away indicating a worldwide desire to change and be more positive! And on Monday, I became one of those 5 million. On Monday, I began my own personal vow to not complain for 21 days and although I truly do try to be mostly positive in my daily life regardless...I must admit that today I had to start over again. I complained. Tomorrow, I will yet again begin day 21.

21 days of not complaining about the weather, or how political conversations just piss me off. No complaining about stressful jobs, or frustrating family members, or how fattening the bag of chips were that I just ate. Just 21 days of pure positivity and an actual productive stance to the frustrating things we encounter on a daily basis. If you don't like something...change it. And if you can't change it...what good does complaining about it do? Can you imagine if EVERYONE in the world tried this for just 21 days?

I can't imagine living complaint free for my entire life, especially considering sometimes...you just have to let it out!!! But sometimes I think it's helpful to take an extreme measure, to make us change our ways, even if only slightly.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm super excited for the challenge and hopefully the new outlook to handling life.

More Stuff I Probably Shouldn't Spend My Money On

2008-04-03T19:36:00.004-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to share with all of you my new laptop! It IS after all where I will be blogging from now on and THAT bit of information is very important =) Unfortunately, I just got done working out so I'm not giving you an ACTUAL picture of me working on it because...I'm sweaty and gross. But pretend I'm in this picture, and say hello to the new babystepping blogging headquarters ha ha.

I have a secret to share...or two or ten

2008-04-02T19:55:00.005-05:00

When I'm bored, I watch Hannah Montana...I'm 25 (almost 26) years old.
I have thrown away dishes before, opting out of washing them.
My toe nail polish has been on my toes since New Years Eve
I have picked up my phone before, and pretended to talk to someone, simply to avoid having to talk to someone.
I STILL dance in front of my mirror and pretend I'm a famous singer.
Jesus frightens me
I can recite ever single word to Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid from memory
I bought a $440 purse to match a $12 pair of heels
I have been out on a date with someone I met from the Internet
I sing REALLY loud in my car, and I don't care if anyone is watching

My Clock, Has Finally Started Ticking

2008-03-31T22:06:00.003-05:00

Ever since I can remember I always said "I want three kids". I would have two boys, one girl and we'd all live happily ever after. Following that I've always said: "...but not right now", and as I've gotten older, I've pushed that idea off further and further into the future. I, unlike my friends, have not had the ticking baby time bomb ready to explode in my belly...

...until last night.

Last night I had a dream. A beautiful dream that I was walking the streets of some unknown city, with a tiny little blue eyed baby girl walking happily next to me. As we reached the corner, ready to the cross the street I looked down at her and smiled, telling her to grab my hand. She looked up at me with baby blue eyes, grabbed my pinky finger, and together we skipped across the street.

And then she turned into a dog. I'm not kidding.

But until then she was MINE. My little baby girl that I have been wanting since my dolly days and for the first time in almost 26 years I woke up WISHING I had one of my very own. For the first time in my entire life, I feel like I'm getting my maternal clock and thank GOD because I was beginning to think mine was broken! I couldn't stop thinking about the dream all day and I even began contemplating what her name would end up being!

The unfortunate part about it all is that I'm nowhere near a point in my life where I'm ready, or able to have a baby, but it makes me even more excited for all of my friend's to start having THEIR babies and beginning THEIR families so that I can go play with theirs all I want. Hopefully someday I'll have my little blue eyed blond baby girl (or some version there of). Until then I'm enjoying the freedom of not having her around.

::Crickets::

2008-03-20T20:30:00.004-05:00

Hellooo oooo oooo oooo oooo. Echooo echooo echo echoo oooo. Man it's quiet around here! Has it really been since January since I've had anything worthwhile to blog about?

I won't sit here and give you the rundown of the past three months because that would be boring...really...boring. But where you do you start when you've been away so long? Can a blogger really just abandon her space and then come back months later expecting to be welcomed with open arms and remembered just as she was when she left? I feel as though I need to re-introduce myself or something.

...since when did I feel the need to add drama to this blog?

In all seriousness, I'm sitting here in New Berlin, Wisconsin house/dog sitting for my Aunt and Uncle who are currently gallivanting with their three children in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I hate them. (It's supposed to snow here by the way. G.R.E.A.T). Anyways, I'm sitting here at the computer checking my NCAA brackets (because I'm obsessed now), with Buster (their dog) on my lap and I thought to myself: I'm going to update my long lost blog. Because quite frankly, I have nothing else to do with my time. So here I am, sitting at their computer, in their big open empty house, with STILL nothing to write about.

God I'm boring.

I'm 8 for 8 in my bracket (go me!) and I did the picks MOSTLY by myself. Seriously! Ok, Kyle MAY have helped me a bit and Logan MAY have lent a few suggestions...and okay my little cousin JJ MAY have suggested the second championship team...but other than that, their 100% all my picks! And I'll deserve all $2000 when I win it =)

Actually while we're on that note, can we talk about the NCAA for a second? I am 25...ALMOST 26, and I swear to god I have NEVER heard of March Madness. I mean, I've heard the name, but I never participated or got it or cared really. It was usually just an excuse for me to go hang out at the bars with people. But this year suddenly, work starts a pool, I join because I'm a work lemming, and suddenly I'm sitting in front of the TV watching COLLEGE BASKETBALL of all things and screaming at the TV for my team to come out ahead! I must have stared at espn.com all afternoon just hitting refresh every 2 seconds so I could keep up to date on the happenings and I get such a kick out of watching my bracket light up green every time one of my teams advances even further. It's fantastic!!

So that's that. My first post back after a few month hiatus is about basketball. How do you feel about that?

OH! And oh my gosh I couldn't end this post without completely switching gears and showing everyone my new baby. His name is Stewart Weitzman....and I will love him forever =)

I Have Been Blessed

2008-01-16T21:41:00.000-06:00

If I believed in Guardian Angels, I would think that two were sent me about three years ago. Because in these two people, I have seen nothing...nothing...except utter kindness, patience, and a genuine desire to help out whenever and wherever they possibly can.

Today, my tire blew while I was driving home from work, leaving me stranded in Racine. I was lucky that it went before I got on the freeway and instead I was able to safely pull over into the Park & Ride which just happened to be situated across the street from the Racine County Sheriff Patrol station...so I felt a bit safer sitting in my car by myself in the dark at 6:00 at night. (Oh and you can bet I was thrilled to have some extra time to practice up on my Brick Breaker game on my Blackberry...but that's not the point here). Already feeling as though someone was watching over me, I got a call from my mom saying that Larry would be there in about 45 minutes to come and change my tire for me. Larry is the husband of my mom's employee Melinda and the two of them have been doing things like this since we first met them.

True to his word, Larry arrived with a smile on his face and a tire jack in hand laughing as he hoisted my car in the air and saying "I was about to watch American Idol before Melinda called me". Feeling as though I couldn't thank him, or apologize enough for the inconvenience I had just put him in, he assured me that it was no trouble and that the lord will allow me to give thanks to him through my assistance to others (he's really religious...I just let him preach to me) =) And then, 10 minutes later, it was done. He waved goodbye and I drove back to my parent's house so I can take it in to get fixed in the morning.

He never once argued or groaned, or second guessed coming to my aid. He just got in the car, and drove 45 minutes simply to help me with my tire. If I believed in guardian angels, Melinda and Larry would be them, and I would feel very blessed that they are in my life.

I do feel very blessed to have them in my life. Their God certainly has big plans for them. I just know it.

A Candid Moment

2008-01-08T22:09:00.000-06:00

HAPPY 2008 (8 days too late)!!!!

I always get really excited for the coming of January 1^st. There is just something so magical about “NEW” that gives us hope that we truly can start all over again. As January 1^st rings in a new year, so does it also ring in the chance for a new beginning, and I can tell you this year more than any other year before…I need a new beginning.

I hurt people last year; people that have meant more to me than I ever thought possible. I lied to people that mattered in order to carry through with my own selfish intentions. I do realize that's a pretty bold statement to put out to a web full of strangers. But I can’t always put on a happy face, and I can’t pretend to be a perfect human being. I’m flawed. And until I can accept that, I’ll never fully be true to myself. Consider my candid statement, my acceptance.

I’ll forever regret how I treated people in 2007…I’ll forever hate who I was in 2007. If I could do it all over again I’d do many things different, but unfortunately that’s not possible and so I can only hope that my mistakes will carry me forward, and I’ll learn from them.

I can take this new moment, this new day, this New Year and fix me…make me a better person. I can look back at my mistakes and work strongly to not make them again. I can make resolutions and for once make them happen. I can make 2008 a much better year than 2007 and for that I am grateful for the New Year and a new opportunity.

And so, for the first time in many years, I have actually compiled a list of resolutions that I have put onto a piece of paper, and will carry with me every day so that I never lose focus of what I am going to accomplish. That list is as follows:

Write in my blog more often

Spend wisely

SAVE

Utilize my gym membership at least three times a week

Get back into yoga

Eat more fresh foods

Be less selfish

Be more assertive

Enjoy my life now! Don’t dwell on the past, and quit worrying about the future.

Seize opportunities

Take more chances

Do more things that scare the hell out of me

Be honest

Be done with self pity

Accept weaknesses, but build on strengths

Let more people in

I’m sure it’ll be a running list, and I’m sure I’ll fail miserably at some of them, but I hope that in 357 days, I’ll look back at the year and think: “I did good this year”. Here’s hoping for a better 2008.

Romo Vs. Favre - Who Do I Chose?

2007-11-29T09:42:00.001-06:00

In my dear hometown of Burlington, WI there is a silent stillness in the air as the local bars begin their preparations for the Big Game tonight. Packer memorabilia hangs in doorways and on big sprawling bar windows, and the evening's drink specials are displayed prominently on large hanging banners. Green and gold is splattered throughout the 10,000 person city as it's residents anticipate the coming game that will determine their placement in the upcoming playoff games. What your blind eye won't see as you drive through this quaint little town this morning, is the utter confusion and distraught that many of it's residents hold as they struggle with one simple, game destroying matter.

THE COWBOY'S QUARTERBACK IS TONY ROMO!!!

Tony Romo. That adorable big eared kid that many of us (including myself) went to high school with and watched take our Demons to...non-impressive wins, but none-the-less...was there. Tony Romo. The star basketball player, star golfer, and every coach's pride and joy. Tony Romo. The small town Burlington, WI resident who left here when he was 18, and never came back. Tony Romo. The $67.5 Million Dollar starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys...the team our small town Wisconsin needs to beat to keep home field advantage. Tony Romo. Burlington's sweetheart.

So who do you root for? The man who put Burlington on the map, and whom we've all been rooting for since he was a 15 year old Freshman? Or do you finally hope to see Tony Romo lose for once...and stick with your beloved Packers.

Okay clearly we're in Packer Country up here so it'll be the Pack all the way. But you can't help but want to see Romo do well...no matter how much you love the Packers!!

Thanksgiving Quotes

2007-11-21T16:06:00.000-06:00

"Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

" Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."
-- WT Purkiser

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Is This Thing On?

2007-11-20T19:39:00.000-06:00

HI!!!!

Goodness. I think this is the longest I have gone without a blog update in a long time. I'm so sorry everyone (the few of you who faithfully read this). I HONESTLY am trying not to be such a stranger, and I clearly made a false promise to all of you a few posts ago in which I said I would be on more often. In my absence, I have proved that I lied.

I'm sorry.

To be perfectly honest though, you haven't missed much in my life. I promise. The new job is going great. I'm busy learning the industry and busy finding my place in the company. It's going to take a little bit to get my bearings around there, but I'm confident that I'll find them soon. I do miss Harley daily, but at least I still get to see some of my favorite people from there every now and then. I even still maintain regular contact with a few of my managers so I don't feel as though I'm completely removed from the company.

Hmmm...what else. Nothing. Sad right? As I get older, I'm finding my life to be more and more repetitive. Which I'm okay with. As I get older I'm also finding the need for my life to be more and more structured. It's less stressful for me that way =)

I'm excited about the upcoming Holiday weekend though (Aren't most of us?!). I have plans to head out with one of my managers from Harley on Wednesday and then probably out with some friends that evening (it IS the biggest drinking night of the year. I may be old, but I still like to go out every now and then!). Thursday is Thanksgiving, and then the weekend! Nothing big planned for the weekend. I need to get some laundry done (lame), clean my apartment (double lame), and hopefully head out with my friend Katie at some point (hooray!). And that's, that.

Please know that my effort is noble in trying to update this blog. In fact, I have a list of topics I want to blog about sitting in my email just waiting for their grand entrance onto babysteppingmyway. Hopefully with all my down town this week, I'll get to some of them!!!

Until then, Happy Holidays everyone. Eat tons and tons of food...because we can. That's what's great about this holiday, and we should be very thankful for that.

Little White Magnets

2007-11-04T18:21:00.000-06:00

I have officially become slightly obsessed with the new Southeastern Wisconsin Radio Station contest being put on by KissFM. What does it entail? Magnets.

I know doesn't sound too interesting right? Well you're right, it's not really. But when the idea of a white magnet, being placed around the state that SOMEWHERE carries free gas for a year, I become a little excited. And I must admit it's not the free gas that makes me excited. It's the stupid little white magnet. And I would be ecstatic if I ever found one.

So now, when I'm driving, I'm not paying attention. I don't see stop lights, or stop signs, or people crossing the street. Instead, I see metal guard rails, and metal street signs, and metal electrical boxes and every time I see one, I stop paying attention to what I'm doing...and scout for a stupid white magnet.

It's sad, but I'm bound and determined to find it. And when I do, I'll post about it, and you can all basque in my excitement. And maybe as an added perk to it all...I'll have won a years worth of free gas. Because lets face it, I commute two hours every single day for work and I could probably use the free gas.

Even more than the free magnet.

Nostalgia with a Tinge of Jealousy

2007-10-29T10:25:00.001-05:00

You know what’s a weird feeling? Finding out your high school sweetheart is engaged…to someone else. No matter how moved on I am, and how distant our lives have become, I have to admit that a piece of my heart sank when I heard the news.

It’s weird to think that could have been me. In fact, it was supposed to be me…seven years ago. But things are very different now, and although I know I wasn’t supposed to be that girl, it still hurts a little to think that I’m not.

I do wish them all the happiness in the world though. And although I love my life, and where I am right now, I think I’m going to be a little sad for the rest of the day.

I think that’s okay.

Finally, a Scary Halloween

2007-10-28T16:49:00.001-05:00

Last night, I went to the scariest Haunted House of my entire life. I'm not kidding you guys.

Every Halloween, I become anxious with the thought of the seasons most scariest festivities. I often try to find the most scariest haunted house I can find, but usually just end up finding myself walking through yet another cheesy haunted house which provides me more laughs with my friends than anything else. The closest I ever come to be truly scared is when I decide to watch a horror movie by myself at 1:00 in the morning. Sleeping, is pretty scary after that.

But last night in Random Lake, Wisconsin I found myself an hour away from the security of my home and walking through the most terrifying place I have ever encountered. The place was called the Splatter Haus and it was deemed one of the most terrifying haunted houses in Wisconsin - it definitely lived up to it's name.

Dark, narrow passage ways lead to large open rooms that seemed quiet and still, but upon the flicker of a light, and the blare of Rob Zombie through the speakers I found myself cowering in corners as the most terrifying of creatures popped out of coffins, and curtains, and dark passage ways. They chased us with chain saws, and knives, and just plain ridiculously scary costumes. They never touched me, but they came close - very close.

The most terrifying moments:

Walking into a room with panels of what looked to be bandages hanging from the cieling. The panels obscured the view of the room but through the bandages, and the faint red glow an old white door could be seen in front of us. The famous Halloween theme music blared in the speakers around us, and we just knew that Michael Meyers was somewhere in that room with us. We pushed our way through to the door and suddenly the room went dark to which we instantly grabbed hands. Seconds later a strobe light re-lit the room and Michael was standing there, inches from our faces. I screamed and hid my face only to find that when I opened my eyes again, Michael was following us through the tiny dark tunnel. There was no escaping!!!

Minutes later without a moment to catch my breath, we happened upon a room with what appeared to be a small robot in a cage. Thinking I could finally catch my breath I suddenly heard the sound of machine guns blaring in the background and a light went on to reveal a HUGE 10 foot robot/ghost creature pounding it's way towards us, shooting at us with massive machine guns. I pushed our group through, trying to get them through the room faster so that I wouldn't be eaten by the scary robot.

On top of the scary creatures throughout the house, we were forced to crouch and crawl and climb and even slide to get through the house causing not only a visual fright fest, but a mental one as well. We walked through tiny tunnels that had me struggling for breath, and at a few points we found ourselves immersed in an airtight tunnel way that suctioned us from all angels. It was like walking through to large plastic bags. There was nowhere to go but right through, and pray that you could get out somewhere on the other end.

There were times when I thought, I can't take this anymore, I'm so scared and I seriously prayed that around the next corner I would finally see an exit sign. 25 minutes later, as our group found our way to the exit, I let out a sigh of relief. I had made it through the most terrifying half hour of my life.

I'm not kidding you guys, you HAVE to go to this place. I think it's open for a few more days so if you get the chance you MUST get there and let me know what you thought.

I can't WAIT to go back next year!!!

For Better or Worse?

2007-10-23T08:59:00.000-05:00

The other day, during a friendly get together, one of my friends said out loud to the group: “When you’re our age you SHOULD get married.” She justified it somehow by saying that we want babies and such, and that’s why we should get married, and nobody else seemed to be bothered by her comment, but I’ve found myself sitting here thinking about it over and over for the past few days and each time I do I get a little more bothered by it.

I SHOULD get married? Why?

Last I checked I was perfectly capable of being in a committed loving relationship without needing a piece of paper from the state claiming that we were. And also while I’m at it, I never realized that a marriage is what determined my ability to have a child or not. I’d sure hate to be in the same room when all my committed lesbian friends find that out.

I’m not religious, so I don’t believe that I need the church’s permission to join my life with someone, but it seems as though now I need to justify my relationship with society by walking down the isle and saying “I Do”. Like suddenly because I’ve been with someone for four years and haven’t yet taken that leap that somehow makes our relationship or our future together irrelevant? Can we not start a family and begin a life together without me signing my last name away? I’m not sure how I feel about that.

I’m not against marriage, and I definitely would like to get married some day and start a family and do all that traditional stuff, but I didn’t realize it was something I HAD to do, or that I SHOULD do. Aside from the religious aspects of a marriage, why does one feel as though I SHOULD be married? What does a marriage provide to my relationship besides a binding contract? Isn’t the commitment to each other the most important thing? And unless we’re making a commitment to God in front of the church (which I would never do), isn’t the rest just a tradition, not a necessity?

Do you feel as though young women should get married? If so, why?

Blah Blah Blah

2007-10-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with me. I have NOTHING to write about.

I, am not happy. I feel as though I have no emotions. I'm litterally staring at this computer screen with nothing inside my head except pain, from the headache that won't leave.

My job isn't stressful, but the lack of schedule I have in my life is. It's hard to figure out when you're going to grocery shop, and read, and do laundry, and clean the house, and spend time with myself...or my significant other, during the first few weeks of a new job/life change. I know that in a few weeks things will calm down, but until then I just feel so overwhelmed. I NEED order in my life, and I'm just not getting it right now. I've commuted almost my entire adult career so this shouldn't be so tough on me, but it always is at first. It's hard to get a schedule. But I NEED a schedule

Ick.

I can't wait until I get used to this. Maybe I'll actually have stuff to write about then.

Quick Update

2007-10-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

Oh man, I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve updated. Switching jobs is pretty stressful on one’s personal life, especially now that I have a 45 minute commute added to my regular schedule. Getting myself back into some sort of routine has been tough and as a result, I’ve been absent from the online world that I absolutely adore so much! Facebook only exists through the random phone notifications I receive when someone posts something on my wall and as for the blogosphere? Yeah right. I’ve read maybe two of my regular blogs in the past two weeks…let alone post one my own. Needless to say, the transition has been a bit tough.

But the job? I LOVE it. Seriously. Although being the new girl isn’t always the best feeling, it’s nice to know that my current position holds so much potential for growth, and I’ve already learned so much in just the four days I’ve been here. Not to mention, one of my best friends works here so it’s nice to see here more often than every few months. It’s strange being back in Burlington, but I can’t say I can complain about being able to park right outside my office, especially now that the bitter cold Wisconsin winter is on its way!

I still miss Harley, but I’m grateful that everyone there has managed to stay in contact, and keep me updated on the happenings. It makes me feel like I’m still a part of it all somehow.

I’m in the process of getting internet (and cable) installed in my apartment, so I PROMISE as soon as that happens I’ll be around much more. Just hang in there =)

I Can't Help It, I'm An Animal Lover

2007-10-05T09:08:00.001-05:00

Okay I realize I just posted like ten minutes ago, but in my morning blog-read session I came across this postcard on the PostSecret website and i couldn't help but share it with all of you. Because in all honesty, I feel the EXACT same way. And I don't need an anomyous posting website to share it with all of you.

Does that make me a bad person?

A Final Goodbye To H-D

2007-10-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

Today, I say goodbye to Harley-Davidson. Yesterday, I said goodbye to my boss. And to be perfectly honest, I wanted to cry. In fact, I almost did, and so did he. Then again that's what I do, I cry. A lot. I can't help it.

I found myself incredibly sad yesterday as co-workers stopped by to say their final goodbyes to me and I found myself at the verge of a breakdown when my boss dropped off a custom painted gas tank, signed by everyone in my department. I couldn't believe I was just being handed the honorary gas tank, that each employee receives upon the end of their time at Harley (or in that particular department) as a token of appreciation for their efforts. I was also handed a beautiful leather bag filled with a cute Harley T-shirt and a travel Harley coffee mug for my new morning commute each day. Everyone knew that I would only be satisfied, if I could go out in Harley "style" =)

I'm going to miss this place, so much! The people, the job, the life-long friends I've made, and the amazing contacts I'll always have. I'll miss the smell of motorcycle exhaust as I enter the security turnstile at 8:00 am each morning and I'll never forget the little wave of acknowledgement from the morning security guards. I'll miss sitting in Amanda's cube and hiding out from the world as we gossip and plan the weekend's festivities or the morning overly energetic visits from Craig that always managed to put me in a better mood. I'll miss the convenience of the cafeteria and even all the unnecessary meetings that posed only to eat up more of my time and I'll miss the many nicknames I've accumulated in such a short period of time. I'll miss my unlimited supply of office supplies, the smell of my cubicle, and the noise my high heels made in our hallway that acknowledged to everyone that Christi was coming down the hall.

I hate goodbyes. I really do. I've only been her for ten months but it feels like so much longer. This place has become home to me, in that comfortable "home" sense that only a fantastic job can provide to you. It sort of makes one wonder if money really is all that important anymore, considering how unbelievably happy I am here!

But alas, the reality of the situation is that I have a much better opportunity offered to me somewhere else, and I owe it to myself to at least be open minded about it. I finally have the chance for financial stability, upward mobility, and the ability to grow with a company from start to potentially finish. The good thing about it is, if this doesn't work out, I always have Harley to fall back on.

And with that, I end my final post as an employee of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. It's been an amazing ten months!

Because She's Almost There

2007-10-03T16:11:00.001-05:00

Hi!

My dear blog friend Krista is running a marathon. But not just because she wants to jump up and down at the end of 26.2 miles and say "I ran a marathon, what have you done", although I totally would, and I have. It was awesome. But this isn't about me. She's running for an adorable little girl named Amelia who has leukemia. Amelia can't run, but Krista can! And she is! But to help Amelia, Krista needs donations. And she's running out of time to get them!

Therefore, we're in super-hyper-get donations any way we can-even if it means posting a million blogs about it-mode. So here I am. Trying to help her out, and hoping you want to help as well!

The donations can be as big or as small as you're financially able to provide but every little bit helps. In fact, broken down, Krista has figured that she needs only $14 from 67 people. That's not bad. I know about 10, and I donated so that's 11! Assuming we all put in our $14, that only leaves her with 56 more people.

woot, woot!

Alright, enough begging. Let's get to the point. This is for a good cause. What better reason is there. You can donate here. I truly hope you do.

Thank You.

My New BlackBerry

2007-10-03T08:32:00.001-05:00

Man, I'm sorry everyone for being such a Debbie Downer lately in my past few posts. This stupid mind of mine is on overdrive the past few weeks. It probably doesn't help that I have absolutely nothing to do at work since it's my last week so instead, I think. It's what I do.

In more upbeat, materialistic news, I got a new cell phone yesterday! I get really excited about new cell phones. As I do new shoes, purses, and office supplies. And new peanut butter. I love taking the first scoop out of a new jar of peanut butter. It makes me all fuzzy inside.

But back to the cell phone. It's cute.

The End.

Living For Today

2007-10-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

"...and suddenly you are just one car away from having your number called"

That was how my boss felt as he described to me over lunch the terrible accident he had witnessed while driving up north this weekend. The accident involved three cars: car 1 contained a woman driver, her husband passenger, and their two children in the back seat; car 2 contained a family as well; car 3 contained a man and his son. Car one apparently hit car 2 head on (at 55 miles an hour) then proceeded to flip, mid-air, landing on top of car 3. Everyone except one person in car 2 was killed. At fault, was the woman driving car 1.

My boss described the horror he felt as he pulled who he could out of crushed vehicles, and worked to keep people conscious. He also admitted the complete defeat he felt as he realized there was nothing he could possibly do for those in car 2. As the silence deafened the scene, he realized the fatality that car had experienced.

"The hardest part about the whole thing was driving away. Because on Monday, my life will go back to normal, but these people's lives are forever changed."

It's so scary and completely humbling at the same time. I think it's hard for many of us to not feel invincible at the beginning of each day. We wake up, carry on our morning routines, and never really think that this very well could be our last day on earth...the last time we'll ever see our beds again or hear that alarm clock. We carry on thinking "It won't happen to me...at least not today"

At the back of my own mind, the thought of death is constantly there: how it's going to happen, will it be painful or quick, what will forever really be like, will I know I'm dead or will a light just suddenly shut off and that's it for me...forever. It scares the sh*t out of me and it makes me ill thinking about it. But even though I think about death on a daily basis, there is still a part of me that doesn't believe it will happen to me. I never truly believe that this could be my last day on earth. I always try to appreciate everything I encounter, each and every single day, but I wonder what I would do differently if I truly believed each and every day would be my last.

Honestly, it sounds incredibly exhausting. I think maybe it's easier for us to remain invincible in our heads...it keeps us enjoying the day, instead of dreading it's end.

Do you live each day as though it could be your last? If so, how do you do it?

The Effects of Housesitting

2007-10-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

I'm really tired today. In fact, it's been a long time since I've felt this tired while being at work. Probably since my days of drunken all night binges until 6 in the morning, followed by an early 7:00 am shift at work where I would spend the day hunched over the desk, puking in the garbage can. Those days were tiring. And thank god they're over with.

Today, I'm that kind of tired. Only I'm not hung over, or still drunk. I'm just exhausted because last night, I didn't sleep. At all. You see, this week I am house sitting. And as a result I am sleeping in a strange house, with strange animals, in a strange city, in a very strange bed.

I don't sleep well to begin with when I'm not in my own bed, let alone in a strange house that makes strange noises at 11:30 at night causing the puppies to perk their ears and stare intently out the bedroom door. I also can't sleep without the soothing hum of a fan. The dead silence of a room is too much for me to handle while I'm sleeping. The thoughts in my mind are entirely too loud...they keep me up! But this house...no fan. Not a single one in sight. Great. Lucky for me attached to their bedroom is a bathroom and inside said bathroom...a ventilation fan. Score! So I turned that on, and crawled back into bed. But it still wasn't loud enough, and I felt bad having it run for 8 hours straight because quite honestly, I don't think that's what they're made for. So I turned it off, and tried to go back to sleep, but I just kept hearing the weird noises, and the strange neighbors, and the puppies snoring, and then I couldn't get comfortable and I was tossing and turning, and then I had to pee......

It was a nightmare. Actually I wish it were, because that would mean I was actually sleeping...instead of staring at the ceiling.

Hopefully tonight will be better. I don't think I can handle a full week of no sleep.

I'm a Lemming

2007-10-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by my oldest friend Mentle on her blog, The Everyday. Here is the game:

THE RULES:

1. Post these rules before you give the facts.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) someone and list their name (linking to their page).
4. Leave them a comment on their blog letting them know they’ve been tagged!

HERE GOES

1.) I don't believe in ghosts (in the Hollywood sense), nor do I believe in the after life but somehow I am convinced that I was contacted by my dead grandmother, on the one year anniversary of her death. I was living in London, and she left me a message on my voicemail. I'm not kidding.

2.) My dream is to set foot on every single continent.

3.) I miss school and learning. I'm hoping to go back for my Masters someday soon.

4.) I really want to make it a more permanent goal for myself to start hand writing letters to people. I utilize electronic communication entirely too much to stay in contact with those around me. I feel the need to get more personal.

5.) Finding 8 things to tell about myself is really hard, considering I regurgitated 100 of them for my "100 Things About Me" post.

6.) I wish skinny pants and leggings would go out of style again. I think they're just hideous and refuse to wear them.

7.) I loathe morning radio. I cannot find a single solitary morning show on my FM dial that stimulates me in any way, shape, or form. I am officially switching to AM. And that makes me feel old. But I still want Ally Faith to be my best friend.

8.) Socks make me feel claustrophobic.

Hmmm, I'll tag......OC. You're it!

I Should Invest In Office Depot

2007-09-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

Want to hear something really dorky?

I adore office supplies. I do! There is something so exciting to me about walking into an Office Depot and seeing all of the hundreds of different office supply choices that lay in front of me. Binders, and markers, and pens, and folders, and erasers, and post-its...I love it all. It all makes my heart beat just a little bit faster.

Today, when I arrived to work, I had a huge box waiting for me on my chair and when I opened it up, I realized my office supply order for work had finally come. Hooray! New Sharpies!! I try to stay casual about my love affair, but sometimes I can't help but burst at the seams as I anxiously await the moment when I get to write with my new gel pen, or use that brand new binder that smells so fantastic sitting in my cube.

I also love writing checks. But that's an entirely different post.

Make New Friends But Keep The Old

2007-09-27T09:29:00.000-05:00

When I graduated High School, I remember being devastated at the fact that i was leaving behind some of the best friends I've ever had. It hurt to think our time together would never be the same, and that our relationships would slowly fade away. I remember crying thinking that "my girls" would soon become a distant memory and that I would soon have new friends to fill new memories with. But I didn't want new memories, I liked the ones I had already!

I of course got over that thinking, and did in fact make new friends, and I created a plethora of fantastic new memories, ones that I will never forget! But I was wrong about one thing. My relationships of my high school years didn't fade. In fact, they grew much much stronger. Sure I lost touch with a lot of my closest friends, but a majority of us still have consistent contact with one another. I have watched many of them marry their long time loves, and create a brand new life of their own. I have been with some through the deaths of parents and relatives, and have shared in the joys of new houses, apartments, and vehicles. I have danced my ass off, puked in ally ways, and sat on chairs and cried with these people. Through all these years they have remained my dearest, most cherished friends, and I will forever be thankful for the joy they have brought into my life.

People have often told me how rare it is to still have such a close knit group of friends from High School and I've often thought that maybe they were right. But then I came across this story in the Journal Sentinel this morning and I realized that we're not that strange after all. That people carry on life long friendships all the time. We're just one more group to add to that fantastic story of life.

I'm not sure where our respective lives will take us, but I hope that when we're all 75, we're still getting together and laughing about where we've all been together, just as these beautiful women are. How truly special it is, to be able to share in the journey of life, with some of your very best friends in the world.

Grrr To Cell Phones

2007-09-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

In Orlando, I went into the pool. Actually, I got pushed into the pool. And I was holding my Kate Spade purse (complete with matching Kate Spade wallet), and those went into the pool with me. And inside that purse? My cell phone. Yes, that went in as well. All of us, into the pool, fully submerged by chlorinated, peed in water.

Fantastic.

And now? I'm without a cell phone. For the last 4 days actually. It's both liberating and frustrating at the same time. I've been trying with no success to salvage what's left of my overly priced cell phone, but alas I'm admitting defeat in that area. My cell phone plan isn't up for renewal until December, which means my only option for a new phone is to either suck it up and buy a new one (which I don't really have the money for) or live without contact for the next three months.

Believe me, that last option is sounding better and better each day.

Thankfully, my dear friend Amanda here at work had an extra cell phone for me to use, and generously saved my life by offering it to me until my plan expires. My next hurdle? Get the damn password to unlock the stupid phone from Cingular and Motorola.

"A response will be sent to you in 4 - 7 business days" Grrrrrrrrr!

Oh and by the way. My purse? She's fine. A little wet, but generally okay.

Looking Back on Summer 2007

2007-09-26T09:11:00.000-05:00

Today in Wisconsin, it officially feels like fall. The air is cool and crisp, with hints of amber colored leaves blowing and moving below my feet. I stepped outside as the dawning sun hung lower than it has the previous few months, and I held my jacket closer to my body as I ran to my car to begin my morning commute. It was chilly, but a good chilly. The kind that makes you anticipate the coming months of crunching leaves, deep browns and oranges, and pumpkins sitting proudly at the doorsteps of neighborhood houses. I love autumn. Everything about it really. That is, everything except the fact that Winter is just around the corner.

I hate Winter.

Through my love for Autumn, I also hold a small place of remorse for the passing of Summer. That time of year when the sun shines brighter, the children laugh louder, and the idea of a front porch and a vodka lemonade never sounded sweeter. With the coming of Autumn, comes the end of Summer, and although I look forward to the coming months, I can't help but reminisce about what the last four have brought to me, and be thankful for all that I have been given so far this year.

Thank you Summer 2007, for giving me:

The chance to finally meet Tara's mom...too many years later
The Girls Next Door on DVD
My very first fishing license, followed by my very first fishing experience
My Barbie fishing bobber
The "On Your Honor Box"
An introduction to the amazing music of Jon Hainstock
A cure for my fear of flying
...lots of wine
The mountains of Utah
The ability to save
and a $300 a month savings on my loan payment
The Grand Ol Opry
A new lifelong friend
Golf
My new apartment
A sitemeter and google ads for my blog
The knowledge that thunder doesn't come from clouds crashing together
A 14 hour motorcycle ride through South Dakota
Runs by the lake
Walks by the lake
Get togethers with old, dear friends

Goodbye Harley-Davidson

2007-09-25T15:10:00.000-05:00

In two weeks time, I will no longer be an employee of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. It was such a hard decision considering the love I have for my position, my boss, and the company. But in Harley, I was offered uncertainty. A position that had no plans to become permanent in the near future, especially considering the future health at the moment, of a downward sloping industry. I wanted to cry as I had to spit out the words "I was offered another position" and yet I felt relieved as I watched my boss's face beam with happiness as he encouraged me to jump on opportunities. At that moment, I wanted to hug him. I couldn't have asked for a better person to have worked for these past 9 months and I know that should my life take another course, I'll be able to find my way back there...no questions asked.

As I say goodbye to Harley, I look forward to saying hello to another chapter of my life. One that provides a bit more financial freedom and a chance to express myself creatively. One that brings me back, yet again, to Burlington, WI to the city that for some reason or another I just can't seem to leave. I'm extremely sad to be leaving, but I'm optimistic about my future. I'm confident that this is one more baby step in the right direction.

A Humble Human I Am

2007-09-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

As I flew to and from Orlando, Florida this past week, I had a chance to philosophize and wanted to share with all my blog friends, my thoughts on our existence on this planet.

Down here on Earth, humans seem pretty powerful. Standing at an average height of around 5'4" (depending on your country of origin), compared to the other living creatures around us, we're pretty monstrous. We build tall buildings that tower to the sky and drive around in vehicles bigger than anyone could have ever imagined would be necessary. Our cities become clouded with smog, we create garbage heaps tall enough to ski on, and we have recently been accused of altering the entire planet's temperature. From down here, we rule the world.

But has anybody ever taken a look at the world from 37,000 feet in the air? Suddenly, humans don't seem as powerful anymore. Massive sprawling cities become ant like in comparison and to make out a single human being would be near impossible. From 37,000 feet, it's nature that rules the world, not humans.

If we are that insignificant from 37,000 feet in the air, imagine how insignificant we become from outer space!

Are we insignificant enough to have absolutely no effect on the planet and it's changing weather patterns? I can't say for sure. But through the windows of an airplane, human life and our place on this planet become humbled against the sprawling landscape and open air around us. With our large egos and over-sized necessities I think we forget just how small we really are sometimes and take for granted just how powerful and massive the natural landscape around us truly is. I wish sometimes we all appreciated this, and wanted to care more for it, instead of trying to use it to our respective political advantages. After all, once we die...we die. And our time on this earth will be short lived. But our energy will remain here on this beautiful planet of ours, manifesting itself through heat on a hot day, or a brisk breeze on a cool fall day. It'll be carried in the wind of a tropical storm or in the rain of a Midwestern spring day. Through our death, we will become one with nature. We should care for it, as we would our own insignificant bodies. After all, it is more powerful than we will ever be or could ever hope to be in this human life of ours.

I Try So Hard

2007-09-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be perfectly honest here. Because I can, it's my blog!

Staying informed is completely overwhelming to me. How do people do it? Every time I think I have a handle on a particular situation, someone else shows up in a debate and spouts out a million facts, figures, and quotations about how much I actually DON'T know. Where do people find the time to do all of this reading? When I open up the Journal Sentinel Online it takes me about an hour to read through everything. AN HOUR, and all I'm doing is trying to stay up to date on what is happening in the world! Now take into consideration that I like to get an all encompassing perspective on the news so I try to read through additional sources, from all ends of the political spectrum, to stay as up to date as I can about what everyone is thinking and feeling on certain issues. That's a LOT of information to take in in one day! And I certainly don't have the time normally to do it! Thank god it's been super slow at work otherwise I don't think I would find the time!

I feel as though staying up with all the issues is a full time job, and I'm feeling very stressed out about it. Clearly I am doing something wrong. What is the secret to staying informed, without it completely overtaking your life?

Supplemental Income

2007-09-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

Guess what? I hit the $5.00 mark yesterday in my quest to make a living off of sidebar advertisements through Google! Horray!

Unfortunately, I don't get paid until that number reaches $100.00 which only puts me at $95.00 left! Therefore, going at this rate, by November 2010 I will have made enough money through blog clicks to get my first paycheck from Google Adsense in the mail. Maybe I can use it towards a down payment on my new house or condo. that I'm hoping to have around that same time. Or maybe I'll just buy a new pair of shoes.

Or a candy bar. Because lets face it, I have no idea how much they actually pay me. But I'm still excited, and even if it is in the realm of $.85..at least it's $.85 more that I can add to my "vacation fund" change jar!

::cough cough:: get clicking ::cough cough::

Going Out...Smoke Free

2007-09-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

In the past, whenever the topic of a citywide smoking ban in Milwaukee has ever come up, I would be the first one in line fighting against it, arguing that it's not necessary to over-legislate! I LIKE living in a free country where we have the freedom to make our own choices, even if that choice includes lighting up a cigarette after I'm finished with my meal. Sure the stink in my clothes, the burning in my eyes, and the deep clouded breathing I would have to take care of after a night out was irritating, but it was something I learned to deal with over the years. After all, I had the option to not go out or to frequent establishments that DIDN'T allow smoking...although establishments like that are very hard to come by.

But then I began to realize that while I was looking out for the smoker's rights and fighting for their right to smoke, I was completely overlooking the NON-SMOKER'S rights and THEIR rights to NOT SMOKE. To NOT be exposed to second hand toxic smoke every time they go out. To NOT have to come home smelling like an ashtray every time they want to meet up with friends for drinks. To NOT have to put their own health at risk, every time they step into a public facility. And as a non-smoker, I can't believe my own rights never occurred to me!

My feelings on the matter were only elevated as I completed a night out in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin this weekend, which is one of the cities in Wisconsin that is already implementing a city-wide smoking ban. At the end of the night, my clothes didn't smell, my eyes didn't burn, and in the morning, i could breathe just as easily as I had been able to the night before. To know that I could throw on my jacket from the night before, and run out to get the morning paper without holding my breath the entire way was reason enough for me to know that something has to be done in Milwaukee.

I'm still not entirely convinced that a city wide ban is necessary, but I do believe that businesses should receive some sort of incentive for CHOOSING to go smoke-free. The City of Milwaukee should then PROMOTE these businesses so that us non-smokers can be sure to patronize these establishments and hopefully it'll encourage other businesses to follow suit, without having to get the government involved. At least this way, the rights of ALL parties are being considered...not just the rights of one side.

When I'm Bored, I Play Racing Games With The Internet

2007-09-14T15:11:00.000-05:00

Okay you guys, I just spent the last 20 minutes racing the little "runtime error" box that pops up on my screen and I'm seriously laughing out loud, at work, at myself, at what an absolute FOOL I am. It goes something like this:

Log onto a website
Move mouse cursor a bit
Box pops up disabling mouse cursor saying "Runtime error. Debug?"
Hit No
Move mouse cursor a bit again
Box pops up disabling mouse cursor saying "Runtime error. Debug?"
Click No again
Move mouse more quickly this time to get to link I want to click on before box pops up
Box pops up disabling mouse cursor saying "Runtime error. Debug?"
Click No

And by this point, I'm racing it. With every No I press I try to move my mouse that much quicker and more accurately this time to see if I can somehow get to the link before the box pops up. I'm also not kidding you when I tell you that after a while, I was mentally calculating the distance between the No button and the link so that in one swoop of my cursor I could hit the link before the box even had a chance to pop up

"Runtime error. Debug?"

DAMN IT!

I was defeated. But highly amused.

And now you all know what a geek I am.

The End.

What To Do With 300 Extra Dollars a Month

2007-09-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

Up until today, the greatest feeling I have had to date was the feeling of crossing the finish line after the Chicago Marathon. The feeling of accomplishment, of sheer pride, of knowing that after months and months of rigorous training the goal I had been striving towards had been accomplished, was almost too much to handle. In fact, the feeling was so overwhelming that I cried when it was finished like a big ol' baby. Then again, that's what I do. I cry...a lot.

I always said the only thing that could ever compare to the feeling I experienced on that day would be the feeling of holding my first child in my arms. Because, what else could bring about such intense emotions?! My wedding? Possibly. My first house? Maybe. Finding out I'm going to be saving $300 a month on my loan payment each month? Wait, now THAT can.

Okay, I'm being fairly dramatic, after all I am comparing a monetary issue with the production of LIFE, but then again it's been a HUGE stress on my back for the past year and a half and to have that tremendous stress lifted feels really good. Overwhelmingly good! I may cry actually!

You see, when it came time for me to apply for student loans I found that the only way I was going to get enough money to cover my costs, was to apply for Private Funding. The Federal Government had decided that my parents made too much and therefore, denied me Federal funding. Bastards. Enter, my HUGE chunk of Private Loans which at the time didn't seem like such a bad thing. Then, a year and a half ago, they came into repayment and I found myself with a 13.75% interest rate and a $680 a month loan payment. I could do nothing at the time but sit and stare at them, as consolidating a private loan is about as easy as convincing a gay man to make out with me. Mmmm. Okay bad example. But you get what I'm saying.

But then, about a month ago, Sallie Mae provided me with a rare opportunity to consolidate my Private Loans. I don't know why, but I wasn't going to ask questions and I filled out the consolidation application that day...then found a gay man to make out with. Within a few days I heard back and while I was approved, I was approved with the stipulation that I had a co-signer. They probably got word from the Federal Government that my parents make a butt load of money so now they're trying to dick me out of all they can...but i could just be paranoid.

Anyway, long story short, my parents co-signed and I just got word today that as of October 10, 2007 my loan payments will be dropping $300 and my interest rate down to 9%!!!! The excitement is bursting out of me. Yes, you heard that right, I'm excited to be paying money.

It may not compare to the marathon or my first child...but it feels damn good.

A Nap In Exchange For Your Smoking Breaks Seems Fair To Me

2007-09-13T15:31:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I wish I smoked. Because smokers don’t have to work as hard, and that makes me jealous.

Smokers get AT LEAST two hours every day that they get paid to not work. Seriously you guys, I’ve done the math on this. At any given moment, many smokers at this facility are 5 minutes away from the designated smoking areas, and I’m being generous with how quickly they’re walking to said areas. So, 5 minutes to smoking area, 10 minutes to smoke, and 5 minutes back. That’s 20 minutes it takes these smokers every time they need to go out for a cigarette break. But it’s not as though they can have one and be done with it for the day. Nope, some of these people are out smoking once every hour!!! That’s 160 minutes just in daily smoke breaks!!!!

What’s with that?!

I wish I could get two hours a day to spend doing a leisurely activity and still get paid for it! (Okay, I kind of do when I play on Facebook…but let’s be realistic. Whether we’re smokers or not, we ALL have periods where we take care of personal stuff ahead of work stuff…which then just ADDS to the grand total of how much less work smokers do!!). I vote that we non-smokers get to cash in those two hours the smokers get and utilize them for a napping hour. The smokers can smoke all they want, as long as I get to enjoy my cozy bed for two more hours out of every day. I should form a Union. I bet they would support that equal trade.

9/11, Six Years Later

2007-09-11T13:08:00.000-05:00

In all, 2,974 victims were killed by the Sept. 11 attacks: 2,750 connected to the World Trade Center, 40 in Pennsylvania and 184 at the Pentagon. Those numbers do not include the 19 hijackers. - Associated Press, September 11, 2007.

Today, I read the above statement while catching up on my morning news on jsonline.com this morning. In six years I have heard the death toll numbers stated over and over to me and never once had I stopped to think about the 19 hijackers. I don’t want to say that I assumed they were counted in the deaths, but I guess I never stopped to think that they weren’t included either. On four planes, in a matter of hours, 2,974 people had their lives taken to them by 19 men who will never be remembered as anything other than “the hijackers”. Their own cowardly deaths remain unaccounted for, while our own innocent citizens receive celebration for their courageous and tragic deaths on that fateful day. The number 2974 will never be tainted by evil, but will be remembered in reverence.

And I have to admit that that simple fact alone made me smile from within.

My Couch Arrived!

2007-09-07T11:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my couch arrived. Yes that one...the one to the left. And no...it's not pink. It's red and it's fabulous!

I arrived to my apartment following work yesterday and excitedly ran into my new living room to see if that adorable little Steinhafels furniture piece looked as good as I hoped it would on the showroom floor.

And it does! It's a perfect size, perfect color, and it's 100% me! I'm so excited to begin decorating around it. I have big plans with no money, so I'm not quite sure how I'm going to accomplish it yet but I'll find a way. Believe me!

I Didn't Graduate With a Fashion Degree For Nothing

2007-09-06T13:48:00.000-05:00

Just around the corner in every woman's mind - is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit, or entire costume which will make an enchanting new creature of her. ~Wilhela Cushman

I love great clothes. More importantly, I love the image you can project about yourself simply by throwing on a great pair of stiletto heels. Clothes have the ability to make whatever statement about yourself that you’d like to make, to transform you into a completely different version of yourself, and all you have to do is change your shirt!

When I walk outside with my Betsey Johnson heels on, and a great fitting pair of jeans, I am transformed from every day broke Christi, to confident, successful, over the top Christi! Forget the fact that I have a car that is seven years old and is falling apart from every crevice imaginable, or the fact that my student loan debt leaves me frustrated and stressed out at the end of each and every day. Never mind the idea that I’ve been running on the same running shoes since I ran the marathon THREE years ago, or the fact that I have to do all of my interneting at work because I can’t afford it at my own apartment. With great clothes, none of that matters! Because when you look great, you FEEL great, and people notice that!

Clothes can make you become just about anybody! When I want to be lazy Christi I throw on my sweats and a tank top and lounge around my apartment. When I want to hide out from the world I throw on my baseball cap and everyday jeans and wander through the city trying to go unnoticed. I can be a Goth princess for a day, a sporty jock, or a successful business woman! I can liven my mood with yellow, darken it with black or calm it with blue! Clothes can suggest, persuade, insinuate, insult, and even lie! All of that power wrapped up into a few tiny necessary pieces of our every day lives. It’s pretty amazing if you ask me.

With that, I come to you. Do any of you have that ONE piece in your wardrobe that just makes you become a different person? Does it make you more confident or more creative? Does it make you feel sadder, darker, or sexier?

Another Google Search

2007-09-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Want to know how else you can find my blog? Search for the following:

"buses going to cranberry festival from milwaukee"

What's funny about this search: I hate cranberries.

Except for Bacardi/Cranberry...which is probably why this person found my blog.

I'm just staying.

Do You Want To Know What Is....

2007-08-28T15:45:00.000-05:00

Sad: I haven't stepped foot into a bathing suit all summer. Not once. Not even to try one on. That hasn't happened since the year of my birth...when I was too small to wear a real swimsuit and when wearing one wasn't necessary because your ridiculously huge and sagging wet diaper was enough coverage for your 1 year old bottom.

Unsettling: I have had a little over a thousand visitors to my website in the past month and yet I guarantee I don't have a thousand comments. I doubt I even have half of that. In fact, I've never even seen the likes of some of the people that my little meter says frequents my blog. HELLO! YES YOU...IN NEW YORK...(and you in San Francisco)...I'M TALKING TO YOU! WHO ARE YOU?! I'm Christi, nice to meet you. Now please comment so that I know you're not just one of my many stalkers. Because lets face it, I'm interesting.

Awesome: I got mad props at work today for my event planning abilities and I'm now getting requests from additional managers wanting me to coordinate their events as well. Horray for doing a good job at my job.

Pathetic: I have spent about 7 of the 8 hours that I have been here at work playing on Facebook. Please don't be jealous of my coolness. Please pretend like I am still doing a good job at my job.

Exciting: I'm going furniture shopping tonight. I can't afford a new couch, but I need one. I currently have two pillows on my living room floor playing the part of one couch. They're not comfortable, and they're ugly. That's reason enough.

Adorable: My neighbor Tracy's Siamese cat wears a huge pink bow around it's neck. And he's a boy. I love big gay cats.

Boring: My day. Which is why I am writing this blog post. Because lets face it, there's only so many hours you can spend on Facebook. The rest must be filled in with eating, blogging, and daydreaming about the vacation that I am definitely not taking.

A Traitor to the Woman's Movement?

2007-08-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie and pretend that I don't like chivalry. Because I do. I love when a door is held open for me or when someone allows me to enter an establishment before them. I love getting flowers and a paid dinner every now and then and I simply adore when a gentleman stands up at a table when a woman does the same. I'm not ooey and gooey and overly romantic but I can't help but feel flattered when someone goes out of there way to make me feel special and important...and taken care of.

...even if I can take care of myself.

I do love to feel a bit vulnerable from time to time. To allow someone else to take the reigns over me every now and then. Yet there is a very large part of me that craves the independence that I have. The ability that I have to live on my own and pay for my own meals. To drive my own car and hold the door for others as opposed to it being held for me. I like buying my own flowers and taking myself out on dates and smiling at the end of the day that I did things for myself...by myself. Because I can and I do!!

I'm making my fellow feminists proud here. Except I can't consider myself a feminist. I like chivalry remember? And we can't expect chivalry and independence from male domination simultaneously.

Or can we?

Can I enjoy when a man opens the door for me yet stand up for my right to hold my own as well? Is a chivalrous man someone to be feared or thanked? To be an independent woman, do I have to give up my appreciation for chivalry as well? Am I trying to have my cake and eat it too?

It's Going To Be a Bright Sunshiny Few Hours

2007-08-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

This morning I stepped outside, rounded the corner to my tiny little convertible waiting patiently on the road in front of me, and for the first time in days…put on my sunglasses. After days and days of rain I awoke to sunlight…and it was fabulous! I have a feeling my moment will be short lived as the forecast calls for more rain as the day progresses, but for right now I am overjoyed at the fact that the sun has finally showed it’s face. It was greatly needed let me tell you! There are only so many gloomy days that I can handle before my mood begins to take a quick downward spike towards depression.

Sturgis Bike Rally - 2007

2007-08-20T13:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, I’m sorry I’ve been absent for so long. For some reason I just can’t seem to find the time to update this blog lately!!! Work is crazy busy and I don’t have internet yet at home so I have to try and fit it in between projects and traveling and….

No excuses, I’m sorry.

My two weeks at Sturgis Bike Week were awesome. I got a chance to go on a 14 hour bike ride through South Dakota where I saw Mount Rushmore, Custer National Park, Deadwood and of course, Sturgis itself. I never envisioned South Dakota to be so gorgeous. It makes me very excited for next year’s rally. Hopefully by then I’ll have my own bike and I can ride out myself.

At Mount Rushmore

This is the buffalo that almost ate me. It was literally 10 feet away from me.

Driving down Needles Highway.

Okay, so I don't REALLY ride, but it was fun to pretend.

Harley employees definitley know how to have a good time

Other than that, since I’ve been back I’ve been settling into my new apartment. Everything is unpacked and put into its respective place and I’m just now starting to compile a list of everything I have yet to purchase for my new apartment. It’s a growing list, as my wish lists usually are, but I’m hoping that in the next few months things with my job are going to progress a bit more and then maybe I can actually afford that new couch that is so badly needed!! Unfortunately a few things have been misplaced due to the move and because of that, I can’t seem to find my camera charger. As soon as I have it though I promise I will post pictures of the new pad. It’s just too cute not to show off. =)

More Celebrity De-Humanizing

2007-07-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

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

I'm sorry, but it really disturbs me!

I'm Almost Home

2007-07-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

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.

Shame On Me

2007-07-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

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 =)

Google Rocks

2007-07-26T15:55:00.001-05:00

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

2007-07-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

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?

Number Of The Day: 400

2007-07-25T09:37:00.000-05:00

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.

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

2007-07-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

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.

Another Post Doncha Know

2007-07-23T15:47:00.000-05:00

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.

Apartment Woes No Longer

2007-07-20T14:50:00.000-05:00

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.

A Golfer I Am

2007-07-19T16:06:00.000-05:00

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 =)

Let Me See If You Can Run It, Run It

2007-07-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

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.

Home Sweet Home

2007-07-15T17:21:00.001-05:00

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!!!

A Milestone

2007-07-06T18:08:00.000-05:00

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!!

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

2007-07-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

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 =)

Apartment Woes Part II

2007-06-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

Uy, I am STILL apartment hunting. I feel as though this chapter of my life is never going to end. I’m going to continue living with my parents until I’m 85 and only then will I finally find the apartment of dreams because old people get ALL the cool stuff in their senior housing apartments. Hell, by the time I’m 85 I feel as though my parents will just be turning 90 so maybe we can be neighbors and I’ll officially never leave the nest…ever.

And now I’m depressed.

Alright, so I’m being dramatic, but I’m just frustrated. I thought that getting a roommate would take some of the stress out of this whole situation but now I’m just finding that we have TWO people who can’t be pleased. And it’s not that I’m hard to please at all. In fact, I’m extremely low maintenance!! I just don’t feel like I should have to pay $1000 a month in rent and get nothing in return for that! It’s ludicrous to me. I’m willing to negotiate and compromise on most things that I ultimately want in an apartment (in unit washer and dryer, heated parking garage, big ol’ deck), but in order to do that I have to find something that’s even worth LIVING in first off!!! How can landlords even think that some of these places are livable!! Who could live like some of these people do!!!! What landlord would willingly SHOW a place in such poor condition?!.

I have appointments to look at three more places this afternoon and if nothing pans out with them then its back to the drawing board…and craigslist.com. I must admit I get a little excited every morning as I make my way to craigslist and peruse the posting that appeared overnight. I just know someday soon I’ll get lucky!

Park City, Utah...A Tiny Slice Of Heaven

2007-06-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

What an unbelievable weekend I just had. My time in Park City can only be described by using the word, wow! I know, I'm a literary genius aren't I?!

I wasn't sure what to expect as I arrived into the Salt Lake City Airport late Wednesday evening. To start things off I was DRUNK after the plane ride (I don't fly well, so I decided to cure my stress with wine...4 glasses...it worked!) and ended up getting fairly sick on the half hour drive to Park City. Part in fact due to my alcohol intake, part in fact due to the winding, twisting roads and the altitude I'm sure. By the time I got to our Condo. I wasn't exactly in any mood to party and really just wanted to go to bed. But alas, I hadn't seen my brother in a while and I was excited to spend a bit of time catching up with him...even if all I really wanted to do was puke over the side of our deck.

Our condo. was gorgeous. It was right on the mountain and had a beautiful view of the Park City mountain range around us (which I wouldn't find out until the next morning). We had two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a fireplace, and fully stocked kitchen complete with a wonderful little gift basket provided to us from my brother's boss Michelle (we stayed at the hotel my brother works at right now). We chatted for a little bit, and I called it a night around 2:00 am Park City time. I was EXHAUSTED and wanted to get a good night's sleep to rest up for our busy few days ahead of us.

When I awoke the next morning and stepped out onto our deck my jaw literally dropped as I scanned the horizon. Towering mountains covered with fluffy green trees sprawled out around me and I couldn't help but stare in awe for a minutes as I took it all in. THIS is what my brother got to wake up to every single morning. It sure makes me feel a bit jealous that I live someplace as visually boring as Wisconsin (although I must admit Lake Michigan's views are something to contend with). I awoke the rest of the family as I giddly anticipated our day outside, playing among these mountains that I so rarely get to see.

And playing we did!

We spent the next few days outside doing every outdoors activity we could find to do. We played on the mountain, and riding a few of the touristy rides: Zip Line, Rollar Coaster, and Mountain Slide. They were a lot of fun, and a great excuse to be outside but I tired quickly of the ride concept and so we headed out, this time to the site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Here we toured around the facility seeing where all the great athletes of the world competed and watched some olympic training ourselves at the ski/snowboard practice facility. I was in awe as I watched men and women younger than my brother barreling down a mock hill at a rapid speed and catapulting themselves through the air, all the while bending and stretching and flipping their bodies and landing safely in a pool of water. It was awesome!!! I'll post pictures as soon as I have them I promise.

We were also able to do a bit of hiking on our trip as well and we ate some amazing meals as well. But I have to admit that I was most happy when we were simply driving around Park City in our little Xterra, checking out the views that the mountain city had to offer. I tried to take in every site I could and take as many pictures as I could, but as with most things in life, a picture just doesn't seem to do it any justice. The beauty remains instilled in those mountain tops for every visitor to see.

Although my trip was amazing, and the city extremely beautiful, I must admit that I was really happy to be home in Wisconsin. I wish I could wake up every morning and see a towering mountain in my back yard, but I'm really thankful that I don't have to maneuver around them every single day to get to work or to get to a grocery store. I love an open road and the occasional flat stretch of path that lay before me. I love open grass lands and the way Lake Michigan smells on a cool spring day. The mountains are a great place to visit every now and again, but I don't think I could ever call that small little mountain town home.

I'll leave that to my baby brother.

It really was a truly fantastic weekend...busy, but fantastic. I would gladly visit Park City, UT again ANY day. You all should too.

And that's all I have.

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...and I Know When I'll Be Back Again

2007-06-19T17:23:00.000-05:00

About a year ago my baby brother Mikey, headed for the hills of Utah in search of his life long dream of bumming it out on the ski slopes, growing his hair to ridiculously long levels, and probably sleeping on numerous random couches and dirty floors. You see, unlike his big sister, my brother is a "free spirit" if you will. Not quite a hippy in the sense of tree hugging and acid trips and world peace, but he generally doesn't give a rats ass about big business, corporate america, and wearing his pants at it's natural intended place on the body. In fact, when he was a Sophmore in college, he and his buddies took a week trip to Spain for spring break and instead of sleeping in hostels (or hotels with little soap samples like I would prefer), they opted for the "au natural" approach and slept on park benches and beaches throughout their stay. It's not exactly my style...but it fits him.

Needless to say, as he approached his Junior year of college he found that he wasn't experiencing everything in life that he felt he needed to be experiencing and thus packed up his truck, and drove to Park City, UT where he took a job as a snowboard instructor on one of the very large mountain resorts in the area. He absolutley loves what he's doing, and he's perfect for the job, but him being so far away from home gets a bit sad sometimes so I vowed to take a trip out there sometime before he returns home for good.

That opportunity presented itself this weekend and I jumped at the opportunity to spend a few days in the mountains of Utah doing what Utah-ians do...hiking, biking, hyaking...I'm not really sure what's all in store for my time there but I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun none-the-less. I'm very excited to board that plane tomorrow afternoon (rest assured I have an entire bag full of my spaz spills, as I like to call them) and just spend some time in the outdoors with my entire family. If there are three people on this planet (besides Jon Hainstock and his music) that can lift my spirits it's my mom, my dad, and my baby brother. I feel very fortunate to have such a tight knit family, and one that I thoroughly enjoy spending lots of time with.

With that said, I will be absent for a few days as I frolick in nature, but rest assured I will return with plenty of pictures, and hopefully some good stories. Or maybe just a really good tan, which I would be completely okay with as well.

Jon Hainstock Rocks My World

2007-06-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

Live music, and great company will cure anything…I’m not kidding!

I was feeling really sick and down in the dumps on Friday and ended up getting into my car at the end of the day and just crying to myself. It felt really good to let it all out and just be sad for a second instead of constantly putting on the flippin’ happy face. I called Tara immediately, and I felt better after I unloaded on her. I was very grateful for her kind face and words. I sometimes feel as though I have nobody to talk to these days, but then I remember that no matter what Tara has always been there for me…a shoulder to cry on. And it makes me feel a little better to know that.

Shortly after, Tara made me a daiquiri which instantly made me feel better, but I couldn’t shake the icky feeling in my stomach or the sickness in my body. I was slightly dreading the rest of the evening, as I had made plans earlier in the week to meet up with some friends at Live on North Ave. to see Jon Hainstock’s show but I knew that being around good friends would make a world of difference for my mood.

It most definitely did.

John’s show was amazing! He has quickly been thrown to the top of my list of "live musical acts to see whenever possible", and everyone else at the bar seemed to be thinking the same thing. Tara, Nicky, Joe, Sara and I grabbed a table close to the front of the stage and enjoyed our half priced martinis and free Bud Lights, courtesy of the Bud Light girls running a special promotion there that evening. Jayne and her posse arrived shortly after and I was thrilled to be able to spend a little bit of time catching up with a dear friend whom I see not nearly enough. In between sets you could hear the rumble of the crowd singing sounds of praise for what they were hearing that night, and the friends I arrived with that evening said they would definitely be willing to see him again. Score! By the time the show ended I was a proud owner of a new Jon Hainstock CD and a certified fan no doubt. He rocked, seriously. I need to talk to his “manager” about getting him to Milwaukee more often!!

We left the bar early as I was sick and needed sleep desperately but I was thrilled that I trooped it out for the evening and went to the show. Music is my safe haven to a world of chaos. No matter what happens, or how I’m feeling, a good song and a great sound will heal almost anything I’m feeling…even if it’s only temporary. Throw in some great friends and some yummy drinks into the equation and you have your own personal psychological treatment facility right there at your fingertips.

It felt good to smile that day.

A Motorcycle Dream Come True

2007-06-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

A little over a year ago I wrote THIS post, not really thinking anything further about my love of motorcycles. Today, my dream came true as I signed up to take the Harley-Davidson Rider’s Edge Course at Hal’s Harley-Davidson, August 15-20. In less than two months I will have the rumble of a motorcycle between my legs and the open air whisking past my body. Who knows, maybe by next summer I will be the proud owner of my own motorcycle. It makes me all giddy inside just thinking about it.

A City Girl In The Country

2007-06-13T08:29:00.001-05:00

I have just returned from a three day getaway camping weekend in Southwestern Wisconsin and I must admit that I am absolutely thrilled to be home. The change of scenery and pace was great for the time I was there, but I’m a city girl at heart. As much as it pains to me admit it, I missed Starbucks, and my down comforter…and pay at the pump gas stations. The smell of camping remaining on my clothes makes me sad to have had to say goodbye to such a gorgeous weekend, but it makes me happy to be back home.

The weekend kicked off on Saturday with the initial camping trip prep work: pack the car, pick up the boat, get gas, etc but once we were on the road the ride went smoothly and quickly. Our destination was slightly unknown, as we had very little camp ground information to go off of, and I found a lot of humor in watching civilization disappear further and further behind us. After about a half hour of driving through winding roads leading to nothing but more rolling hills, I questioned if this tiny camp ground even existed. After all, what place doesn’t have a website these days…or voicemail?! But finally, after passing through a town of about 40 people, we arrived at Blackhawk Memorial Park Campground and what I saw sent me rolling out of the car into complete hysterical laughter. Greeting us at the campground entrance was not a visitor’s center, campground lodge, or county ranger but instead, a small wooden box nailed to a tree with a handwritten note saying “Camping $5, please place money here”.

“Oh my god it’s on the honor system!” I managed to choke out as I wiped away the tears from my face and tried to compose myself long enough to realize what was actually happening here. We had just driven 2 ½ hours to find ourselves staring face to face with a wooden box, and a completely empty campground. After a few more minutes of mind numbing laughter, we piled back into the car and gave the campground the benefit of the doubt. But after driving through the “resort” and seeing what was truly offered, we decided to head up Plan B (thank god we made one) and drove the half hour to bumble-f town #2 to go camping at Yellowstone State Park, and I am so glad we did.

The campground was fantastic. It had a HUGE man made lake perfect for fishing and swimming and about a hundred perfectly secluded campsites complete with running water AND showers and flush toilets…*score*! It was quiet, which I loved, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.

After settling in I went to work right away on setting up the tent and about an hour later we had the car unpacked and I was sitting on a chair with a beer in my hand, loving the fresh air and the sound of nature. Thankfully there were no bugs to be accounted for…all weekend…which made the outdoors experience that much better.

I did manage to get some fishing in during the weekend and by Monday I was actually ready to bait my own hook, AND take off my own fish. I quickly lost interest though as the worms made me gag to put them on the hook and the fish moved entirely too much for my liking when I pulled them out of the water but I was happy that I was able to do it…at least for a little while.

Other than that I spent some time on the boat, drank some beer, and got to know a little town called Blanchardville (or something like that). We hiked, and slept on the ground, and cooked our food over an open flame. It was fantastic. I love camping…and summer.

I Call It Fishing

2007-06-08T09:23:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I camp…real camping...the kind where you sleep in a tent and bathe in the lake, and eat bugs to keep full. Okay that last part was a joke, and I’m sort of hoping the bathing in the lake thing was a joke too but unfortunately, I don’t know much about this camp ground we are going to except that it is secluded, small, and there is no running water…so I think that answers my bathing problem. I did buy a solar heated bag shower just in case. I’ll try “roughing” it in the outdoors, but at least let me be clean while I’m doing it!

I also went and got my first fishing license last night so that this weekend, I can attempt to fish. I bought a ten dollar fishing pole with a button to help me cast and some pink Barbie bobbers that I just had to have. I’m not really into fishing in terms of hooks and worms and fish and all that nonsense, but I LOVE going out on the boat, getting some sun, and throwing a fishing line in the water. Some would call that sun bathing, but I like to call it fishing. Plus, there is something really exciting about seeing the end of your fishing pole suddenly bend towards the water as the attached fish (or occasional chunk of seaweed) struggles to free itself from the sharp hook. I’ll throw my book down, anxiously reel in the fish, and then scream like a girl when I realize the fish attached is slimy and wiggly and yucky. And then, the fun of fishing is gone when I’m forced to stabilize a disgusting lake creature, rip a hook out of its poor mouth, throw it back in the water, grab a disgusting worm and re-bait my hook. It makes the hair on my arms stand up…I hate doing it. But after all that, my pole goes back in the water, and the peace that is fishing resumes and I’m happy again. I can’t wait!

Push and Pull

2007-06-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

I found an apartment last night that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s on the East Side of Milwaukee on a tree lined street around cute condos and within walking distance to many of my favorite downtown places…including the lake. It has a cute front porch big enough for a comfy chair and a table and a living room with a fireplace, yes a fireplace. The kitchen is bright, big, and sunny and the attached bedroom will easily house my double bed, dresser and nightstand. The bathroom is small, which is probably the only downfall but it’s a small price to pay for a truly adorable apartment.

But I’m not sure I can afford it. Actually I can afford it, but it doesn’t leave much expendable income afterwards; in fact, very little…closer to none. I may not be able to eat very often. Is an adorable apartment in the exact area I want to be worth the extra financial hassle? I don’t know!

The smart decision is probably no. I should be saving money for a house, I should be saving money for a new car, I should be saving money to eat. I should, I should, I should.

But it’s so cute. And I’m not exactly smart with money…ever. But I really should suck it up, learn my lesson, and stop using the “that’s just how I am” excuse huh?

*sigh*

I know, you’re all right. It’s just so damn hard to tame the immediate satisfaction urge within me!!!

I wish that growing up, and moving out of your parent’s house could be handled in the same way as a divorce is. In a situation when one’s financial stability severely overrides that of the other party, it is generally deemed necessary by the courts that the more well-off party continue providing a monetary compensation in order to provide the other with the same status of living as they are now accustomed to living. I think this agreement should apply to broke children moving on with their lives. Then I could have my cute East Side apartment…and maybe an Audi.

And now, I’m whining like a spoiled kid would and yet, I wouldn’t give up my independence for anything, no matter how much I pretend I’d like to. The burden of financial struggle although it sucks, is a great feeling to know that I’m doing it…all by myself. And so, I’ll probably sign this lease, because I can, and I’ll complain about being so broke that I’ve resorted to tearing out magazine perfume samples to make myself smell good. Don’t doubt me, I’ll do it.

Or maybe I won’t…because I never can make a big decision.

Debt Sucks

2007-06-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

You know what the most frustrating thing in the world is?

For the past year I have been forking out $680 dollars every month for my student loans. For 12 months at $680 I have given Sallie Mae $8000 for my ridiculously high interest student loan, and the ass raping that accompanies it. Excuse my language. With every humungous check that I write I silently breathe a tiny sigh of relief as I think, that’s one less check I’ll ever have to write them, and I’m that much closer to getting this thing paid off.

And then I looked at my outstanding principal balance today, as I do every month.

And it hasn’t moved.

Not in a year.

In fact, I think it may have even gone up.

WHAT?! UP?!

For an entire year, I have been paying nothing but interest. Sure there are the rare occurrences that I can actually afford to put money towards the principal, but those are few and far between. Instead, I have simply been hurting my checking account simply to keep my student loans in good standing with the credit bureau. My loan remains 5 digits long and painfully expensive and I think it laughs each month as I try desperately to make it disappear.

There is no end in sight.

I want to cry.

Paris Hilton Went To Jail and All I Got Was This Lame Blog Entry

2007-06-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

I don’t feel like I have much to write about. It was a nice weekend: Tara graduated with her MBA, Nicky turned 23, and Paris Hilton went to jail. Oh, and I bought season one of The Girls Next Door on DVD, I’m pretty excited about that. Other than that, I had your standard two days off topped off by your standard early Monday morning alarm clock. It’s foggy and dreary outside which tends to make Monday mornings a bit more intolerable but the temperature remains above 60 degrees which can never be a bad thing in my book.

And that’s all I have.

Much Funnier than The Bird

2007-06-01T08:51:00.001-05:00

Every now and then my dad will bust out the “now, now” finger wave while driving. It’s sort of his ridiculously composed way of releasing road rage. I’ll always make fun of him whenever I see him shaking a finger at someone that just cut him off because honestly, who does that anymore…besides maybe my grandmother, but I like to think even she is too cool for that.

Today however, in the always heated morning commute to work, a woman looked me straight in the eye, and shook her finger at me the ENTIRE way through the very large intersection that we were stopped at…well, that I was stopped at. She apparently felt that regardless of who’s turn it REALLY was to cross through the intersection, she had made her complete stop sign stop (even though I know there’s no way she got one one thousand out before she was half way through the intersection) and that entitled her to go. I quickly threw on my brakes and let her pass in front of me but honestly began to laugh uncontrollably as I watched her shake her finger at me and spout something out through her mouth (although it’s very possible she was singing). I literally barely moved my tires before I realized she was going to make it HER turn and yet she truly felt the need to reprimand me, as if while braking I was spreading boogers on my five year old best friend or something. I hope she feels better now.

So there you have it, there are two people in the world that use the “now, now” finger wave…my dad, and the woman I will call Monique, because she looked like a Monique. I’ve decided that my grandmother IS too cool for the finger, so she is not counted. If you see either of them on the road, tell them I say hi.

What? I Know What I Want!

2007-05-31T10:46:00.000-05:00

And I wonder why I can’t find an apartment…

Wanted: 1 bedroom sunny apartment on lower Eastside or Eastside of Milwaukee. I would like to pay somewhere in the range of $550 - $600 and would be thrilled if parking would be included. I’d like a place to do my laundry, so coin-operated laundry on-site is essential and I’d prefer a porch of some sorts for me to sit on and enjoy the sounds of the city. I don’t have a pet at the moment, but it’d be nice to have the option at a later date and close to the lake would be ideal so I can take my beloved walks along the water. I’m not picky about kitchen appliances, as I don’t do a lot of cooking but I would love a dinning room or eat in kitchen with lots of windows for me to put a little bar table and two chairs. Hard wood floors are preferred, but I’d settle for carpeting and if I could find an old early century claw foot tub I’d be in heaven. Oh, and please have outward facing windows so that I may open them and both see and hear the busy city traffic. There is nothing worse to me than waking up and seeing another building staring me straight in the face. Square footage is not a priority, but complete separation between my living quarters and my sleeping quarters is essential. Please note: I am not willing to move to the suburbs, as I realize this sort of apartment is readily available there. I am not ready for children, mini-vans, and large yards. I remain a city girl for at least a few more years. Downtown apartments need only apply.

Please forward your listing at earliest convenience. In the mean time, I’ll be sitting here pulling my hair out as my hatred for apartment hunting deepens

Dinner Conversations with the Andersons

2007-05-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

Meet my family:

Mom: What is it that they say determines your porn star name?
Dad: First name and….
Mikey: No first pet and first street name
Christi: I’d be Merby…mom what was our first street in Burlington?
Mom: Meadows
Christi: Oh yeah, Merby Meadows. That’s hot
Mikey: I’d be Chocolate Karyl no wait, Keisha Karyl
Christi: Are you a drag queen?
Mom: I’d be Tippy Lions
All: complete laughter.
Christi: Seriously, that’s awesome

Christi: I seriously can’t help picturing a pregnant woman having sex because it’s just absolutely 100% certain that at SOME TIME she had sex!
Mom: Christi, who thinks about that stuff.
Christi: I also think about famous people pooping
Mom: Gross Christi
Christi: What like you honestly don’t think of Brad Pitt sitting on the toilet.
Mom: I don’t care what he does!
Mikey: YEAH! Like Britney Spears pooping. She does! It’s gross!
Christi: Seriously mom. You’re weird.

And End to my Birthday Week

2007-05-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

I wish I could turn 25 every day! After a weekend like I just had, it makes waking up on a non-eventful Monday morning a harder-than-normal task. The weekend began with a 12:05am text message Friday morning, reminding me that for the last 5 minutes, I had been 25 years old. 25! I thought maybe it would affect me a bit more that I was no longer in my early twenties, but to be perfectly honest, I’m thrilled to be 25. I’ve made it through a quarter of a century of living. That’s pretty awesome considering about 200 years ago, I would be considered lucky if I lived to see my mid-twenties!

The rest of my Friday was followed by a number of phone calls (my favorite being the tearful conversation on my way to work), Facebook and Myspace messages, text messages, and flowers and presents at work. For lunch one of my managers treated me to Hectors, a Mexican favorite of mine, in honor of my birthday and that brought up the evening where I met my mom for a few hours of shopping at Mayfair Mall. I arrived home close to 8:00 where my dad had opened up a 25 year old bottle of wine and was waiting to toast in celebration. We toasted, sipped, and made sour faces as we realized you CAN over-age your red wine, but it was cool to be drinking a bottle of wine that was as old as me anyways! After a glass of wine, and some singing around my ice cream cake, I retreated to my room as I was exhausted after both a hard week at work, and an emotionally draining few days. I called it an early night, opting for a quiet night in and fell asleep around 10:00.

I awoke on Saturday bright and early and spent the morning hours running errands around Burlington and eagerly awaiting the arrival of 4:00 when I could begin getting ready for my birthday bash that evening. By 6:00 I was on my way to Milwaukee to meet Katie D. for some pre-party drinks at Kenadees.

My parents were the first of the guests to arrive with my friend Schiller following close behind. The five of us had a few drinks downstairs at the bar, then made our way to the upstairs loft that I had rented out for the evening. Within the next few hours the remainder of my dear friends trickled in and thanks to our private room we all had an opportunity to relax, drink outside of the crowd, and catch up.

After a few drinks us ladies got up and danced a little bit and then the party began winding down around midnight. Those still up for a little bit more headed to Buckhead Saloon for some end of the evening dancing and the night was laid to rest around 2:00 the next morning. I tucked in two very drunk Katie’s into their King sized Pfister hotel bed and drove my birthday butt home for some much needed sleep.

And that was it. Sunday brought about the end of my birthday week and I spent it hung over and tired. I don’t feel any older, but I can definitely tell that I’m getting older as my body takes much longer these days to recoup after a night of drinking.

But it was well worth it. I’d turn 25 again any day!

See the rest of the pictures HERE.

Should Have Been Spiderman FREE

2007-05-17T10:07:00.000-05:00

Last night, brought my total number of movies I have walked out on in the theatre up to three:

1.) Magnolia
2.) Cats and Dogs

And as of last night

3.) Spiderman 3

You guys, it’s awful. So terrible in fact I couldn’t stand to sit in the movie theatre anymore. I’m not going to go into detail because I know this is one of those movies that you will see anyways, and I don’t want to ruin it for you. But know that you were warned by this blog.

Smells Are The Way to My Heart

2007-05-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

I have a perfume obsession. I’m not sure why, but I do. It probably all stems back to my lack of commitment ability which inhibits me from even committing to a certain smell; which would explain my 34 bottles of perfume, and my 45 different boyfriends/girlfriends. Okay just kidding on that last part. On second thought, kidding on all of it. I don’t have commitment issues, I just like change…and perfume.

Last night my aunt provided me with perfume bottle number 35, Juicy Couture, to add to my already ridiculously large perfume collection. It’s a bit more floral-y than I normally wear (I’m a musk girl) but it smells clean and expensive. I like it! It’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. She also got me a really nice smelling candle (notice the trend here) and my aunt got me a nice card with my most favorite item…money =)

And why all the fuss do you ask? Why would all of these people go out of there way to get me some of my most favorite things on the planet?

Why because it’s my birthday week of course!!!! =) (Just in case you forgot)

The rest of the week isn’t as exciting. My mom and I are going apartment hunting tonight which I know is just going to stress me out more than anything and then we’ll possibly do dinner, which is sure to make any stress diminish almost immediately. I am very thankful that I have the ability to release stress and sadness through other therapeutic options outside of food because I feel as though I would be the “eater of my pain” if I didn’t. Food makes me feel so much better. Thankfully exercise and music makes me feel best =)

And now that this post is completely all over the place, I’m out!

It's My Birthday...Week

2007-05-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

This week is my birthday week. Yes you heard me right, I said week. I’ll be 25!!! That’s a big deal!!! Birthdays have always been a big deal in my family, especially the milestones, and I hope it’s a tradition that I’ll carry forward on to my own kids someday! When I turned 5 I took all my friends (and my kindergarten teacher) to Showbiz pizza in Iowa for a big bash and for my 16th birthday I threw my first boy/girl party of my life (I know, I was a late bloomer). For my 18th (and my golden birthday) I rented out a hall and got a DJ for me and all of my friends. I spent my 21st in Las Vegas with my best friend Erin and my family and now the big 25 is roaring up behind me, and you better believe I plan on having a memorable quarter of a (personal) century birthday.

I am a firm believer, in the birthday week, as opposed to just birthDAY. Actually, I believe in the EVENT week. Weddings, graduations, bat mitzvah’s…whatever it is in your life that you look forward to at any particular moment, you should get a week to enjoy it…and make other people as well: a week of people being nicer to you, a week of talking about your special day as many times throughout that week as you feel is necessary, a week of presents (although we know that would never happen), but most importantly a week of celebration! Otherwise, it passes entirely too quickly if we don’t allow more time to enjoy it.

I have a number of different plans throughout the week: dinner tonight, birthday on Friday, and party on Saturday (even if I’m not exactly in the mood for such excitement). I also know for a fact that I’m annoying the ones around me as I say “Be nice, it’s my birthday week” or “I shouldn’t have to go to work because it’s my birthday week”. Yes, I am still a four year old when it comes to birthdays. No matter how much older I get, I still get super excited about turning one more year older and one more year closer to something exciting and absolutely unknown to me yet. I hope birthdays never lose their excitement and that no matter what happens in my life, I will continue to enjoy each and every moment that passes by me and appreciate, instead of dreading, the idea of turning one more year older.

Happy Birthday to me =)

A Not So Green Moment

2007-05-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Okay so I lied. I thought maybe I wouldn’t feel like posting for a while but the truth of the matter is, I’m a closed person the way it is. If I don’t at least blog about something, how will I release anything at all?!

I don’t have much to write about I guess.

I’m annoyed at the man this morning that I watched chuck his donut out his car window after taking one single bite out of it. I’m not kidding when I tell you that I almost got out of my car and chucked it back inside at him. But then I remembered where I work, and what neighborhood I was driving in…and who knows if he had a gun. So I quietly cursed him, gave him my “I hate you” dirty look and Tara’s imfamous “What the Fuck” hand, then drove away satisfied that I just ruined his day by making him feel aweful. But we all know none of my tactics affected him in any way. In fact, he probably went home and threw his soda can on the front lawn. But I like to think he went home and recycled.

On Hiatus

2007-05-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

I am entirely too sad at the moment

Please don't be mad if I don't blog for a little while.

The End

Dirty Dancing, 20 Years Later

2007-05-01T13:11:00.000-05:00

Just in case some of you weren’t aware, today is the 20th anniversary of the GREATEST movie ever made.

DIRTY DANCING!!!

In select theatres on May 1 and May 2 you can see this unforgettable movie on the big screen!! Oh yeah, you better believe a girl’s adventure to the theatre is in the works. Anyone want to go with us?

I am so flippin’ excited!!!

Reliving Chicago Through My Nose

2007-04-27T09:48:00.000-05:00

Does anybody else find that their nose is a pathway to the past? That certain smells just flood you with memories? My nose is very sensitive and just as music, a smell can transport me any place at any time. This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I sprayed myself with one of my 32 different perfumes and I was instantly brought back to my tiny little apartment on LaSalle St. in downtown Chicago. It was where I first discovered Ralph Lauren Romance, as I was browsing the fragrance section of the Marshal Field’s store, and to smell it to this day still brings me back to that first year and a half.

I remembered the way my apartment smelled just after I would spray it and how it would still remain in the air long after I returned home from work. I was reminded of 6:00am bedtimes and walks home with Monkey at 3:00 in the morning. It reminded me of a duck shower curtain, and a bathroom so small I had to leave the door open to comb my hair. I remembered a futon for a couch and an open window that filled my tiny apartment with the sounds of sirens and taxi horns and a distant subway train in the background. I heard my very last land line phone ringing with sales calls and the noise my wrought iron bed would make as I first crawled into heaven.

I saw my tiny vintage mid-rise apartment and the doorman whose name I’ll never forget. I saw my rooftop observation deck and the way Lake Michigan looked from 14 stories in the air. I saw hardwood floors, and stark white walls, and a 3 month long roommate sleeping in the living room. I saw a year’s worth of heartache, a new best friend being made, and four walls that we’d laugh at and say “If only they could talk”.

Awww, I miss that city. Thank you Ralph Lauren!

I Will Call Him Eernie, and he Will Be Mine

2007-04-26T08:41:00.000-05:00

I want a bulldog please. A fat, slobbery, lazy, wrinkly but cuddly and adorable in that oh so ugly way, bulldog. And I’m going to name him Eernie (I haven’t quite figured out how I’d like to spell his name yet). Oh, and I stole that name. I totally didn’t come up with it. But it’s cute right?! I mean tough, because bulldogs are tough, not cute.

But mine will be cute.

Unfortunatley Eernie is going to cost me about $3000, and my current financial situation just doesn’t leave much room for that kind of expense. BUT, my 25th birthday is coming up and that’s a pretty big milestone! So I think all of my friends and family should get together and pitch in, and buy me Eernie.

Thank you.

A Nothing Post

2007-04-25T10:33:00.001-05:00

My gosh do I have a hard time keeping up with this stupid blog. What is one supposed to write about when absolutely NOTHING out of the ordinary happens to them? I suppose at that point I could begin analyzing the everyday mundane: wake up, go to work, eat breakfast…but I’m not good at that. The mundane in my life is just that, mundane. I don’t have that unique talent of making even the most boring of task seem interesting and funny. I suppose you could consider it the “non-writer” in me. Or that I’m just not funny. That could be it too.

Seriously though (as if I made a joke), not much has been going on. In all honesty the thing I look forward to most these days is my weekly trip to New Berlin where I get to prance around in high heels and shake my goodies to a metal chair while laughing at how not sexy I can make a stripper move look. I think it’s the lankiness of my body stature. It doesn’t fit well on a chair. I think I’m more cut out for the pole. I’ll have to try that next.

Oh yeah, and keeping with the fitness theme, I did manage to bust out a 2 mile run and a 5 mile walk last week, that was fun! I wish the 5 miles had been a run, but I’ll work on that. I figured a 5 mile walk was pretty darn good considering the only exercise I have consistently managed to participate in since the marathon in 2004 is the walk up and down the stairs to my bedroom every morning. Someday I’ll be able to run 26.2 miles again. My knee may not agree with that statement, but to that I say “shush knee, who asked you”.

This weekend I have some fun wedding stuff to attend to, and then hopefully a night in Chicago with my friend Katie, so maybe at the end of it all I’ll have something interesting to post about. If not, maybe I’ll come back anyways to let you all know what I had for breakfast and maybe turn it into some elaborate story about how my Corn Pops somehow altered my course of life! Don’t count on it though. We all know only Lucky Charms has the ability to that =)

I'm a Social Outcast

2007-04-12T12:02:00.000-05:00

I hate coming to work the day after American Idol. In fact, I hate any social interaction anywhere the day after American Idol. Actually, I hate the day after Grays Anatomy as well. Why? Because I don’t watch these shows and as a result, I am left out of many conversations! It’s irritating when the first thing out of many people’s mouth’s when you enter the office is: “Did you watch Gray’s last night?” or “Aren’t you annoyed that Sanjaya is STILL on Idol?!” My response to both of these questions is always, “no” and I have to laugh at the looks of horror I receive when people realize what I freak I am. Yes, that’s right people, last night I chose to do some work, converse with Tara, and eat some food instead of watching American Idol…banish me now.

I realize I could probably invest in some Ti-Vo, record these beloved shows, and watch them when I have absolutely nothing better to do with my time, but then I would just be succumbing to peer pressure, and my 5th grade science teacher told me that was bad…and that I would die. Crazy nuns!

Plus, if any of you remember the episode where Rachel from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. takes up smoking simply so she can join in company gossip…nothing good comes from it. At least, I don’t think anything does, so I vow to stick to my guns, and not watch these shows. Maybe they should just bring back Pop Up Video and we can all watch that instead.

Lap Dancing - Class Number One

2007-04-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Let’s talk a little bit about lap dancing:

IT’S HARD!

Hmmm…okay let me go back and explain a little bit, before the play on words get a bit out of control here. On Thursday evening, my two good friends and I signed up for what we thought would be a fun excuse to get together and catch up once a week. It turned out to be one of the hardest workouts I’ve experienced in a very long time. In fact, as I’m typing this out…I’m STILL sore, and it’s four days after the fact!

When the idea of taking a lap dancing class was brought up, my thoughts instantly returned to the belly dancing classes I took about a year ago. Although the workout wasn’t exactly mind blowing, I did learn a few cool hip moves out of the deal, so all in all it wasn’t a total bust! I figured a lap dancing class would offer me much the same experience: not an amazing workout, but something to talk about none-the-less.

Fast forward to Thursday.

Jayne and I arrived to the Miss Pole studio in New Berlin within minutes of each other and soon after, a slightly flustered Erin arrived just as the class was about to begin. We quickly got our “good to see you” hugs in and took our place on the carpeted floor of the studio amidst 6 other soon to be strippers…and a few metal poles (for the pole dancing classes). Our instructor started us off with a few stretches and then the workout began: floor pulses, chair squats, leg lifts, stomach rolls! I have to admit it’s a little uncomfortable to perform sexy moves in front of a group of complete strangers, and it took us all a little while to get over our shyness with each other as we pulsed on the ground. For the first few minutes of the class there was a lot more giggling than actual working out. We warmed up to each other pretty quickly though and soon we were straddling our chairs like we’d been doing this for years. We learned a few routines on our chairs, practiced our “sexy walk” and by the end of the class we were feeling both unbelievably sore, yet pretty damn sexy.

I am so excited for next week’s class. It’s both awesome girl bonding and fat burning all combined into a perfect one hour session. I highly recommend this class. It’s a unique alternative to the typical workout routine, and what girl couldn’t use a few new sexy moves to spice things up every once in a while!

Spring Has Sprung

2007-03-25T19:27:00.000-05:00

Today, officially marked the first day of spring...in the book of Christi anyways. The sun was shining brightly, and the warm breeze begged southeastern Wisconsin to come out and play. Along the roads, convertables flew by with their tops pulled down (including my own) and motorcycles rumbled by each other giving nods and waves of recognition at the comodarie that a motorcyle represents on the open road. On the sidewalks, children pedaled by dressed in their bathing suits while dog owners happily walked their "best friend" amidst the sound of what can only described as, the sound of Spring.

I think we're really lucky here in Wisconsin, although during the winter months, we may not be able to see that luck manifest itself. But without those cold, grueling winter months, we wouldn't enjoy these warm spring days as much as we would. They would become just one more thing in the world that gets completely taken for granted of: like walking, or blinking!

While I can't say I would complain if I suddenly were forced to move to San Diego and enjoy 75 degree days while sipping fruity drinks on the beach, I can say that for the time being I truly enjoy living where I do. With the seasons constantly changing, we constantly have something to look forward to. And thanks to the snow and the freezing cold we've endured lately, I couldn't be more excited for what this 80 degree Sunday has brought us.

I Actually Liked This Chick Flick

2007-03-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I lied. I really thought that my next post was going to be about the Justin Timberlake concert but then I realized there’s really nothing to say. He’s hot. That’s it. Instead, I wanted to make note of the fantastic movie that I saw last night – The Holiday.

There are two things to make mention of here first.

Number one, I never write reviews. I unfortunately am just not that opinionated of a person and even deeper than that, it’s really hard for me to delve into something and figure out WHY I liked something, or didn’t for that matter. I’m probably just lazy though. I’m sure I could come up with a few reasons if I really sat down and thought about it, but I don’t care enough to. It’s kind of like the question “What’s your favorite band”. A question that some can answer at the drop of a hat, or a coin, or whatever phrase you choose to describe a quick thought, but one that requires a bit of thought on my part. But that annoys me. So I’ll usually just give the cop-out answer of John Mayer or something...whoever is most popular at the time…and that will usually merit a smug comment from those that are above pop-culture and feel mainstream music is something to look down upon (since it’s those people that always seem to ask the “favorite band” question in the first place) and then I find myself in an argument trying to stand up for the over-played artists that I love. It’s exhausting. I’m tired just thinking about it.

Second, I LOATHE chick flicks. For whatever reason, I was not born with the girl gene that loves sappy movies. Actually since we’re on the topic, I didn’t develop a lot of the other girl genes: I’ve never pre-planned my family life (including the names of my future children), I don’t eat chocolate…not even when I’m PMS’ing, and I personally would be much more satisfied with life if Celine Dion would just stop singing…forever. She’s great don’t get me wrong, and I’m sure she’s a fabulous person, but when I hear her sing I want to put a pencil through my eye. Actually come to think about it, (No I didn’t put a pencil through my eye) I once lost a really great hat because of Celine Dion. Yes on I-94 actually, right here in Milwaukee. My best friend had begun blaring one of Celine’s intolerable songs and I over-dramatized my dissatisfaction towards her, sticking my head out the window to block out the sound and WHOOSH, off went my hat. I blame Celine. I loved that hat. Now I’m sad…and off topic.

Back to the movie.

As I said, I’m not a huge fan of chick flicks. I actually find myself really bored most of the time, and partially annoyed at how self-indulgent and whiney the girls in those movies can become. I put out enough self-pity into the universe; I don’t need to see it on the big screen as well! However, for whatever reason The Holiday really truly made an impression on me and as the closing credits appeared on the screen, I found myself unable to hold back the massive smile that was beaming from my face, nor could I hold back the ridiculous number of tears that were falling from my eyes. I was just warmed, in every place of my body. Warmed in that girlie sort of way that makes you love the thought of being in love and makes you appreciate all of it that you have in your life. Sure the movie isn’t an Academy Award winner, and there’s really no artistic depth to it, but sometimes it’s nice to see a movie that is put out there for the sole purpose of entertaining.

It absolutely succeeded in doing that.

A Post, Not Necessarily About Daytona

2007-03-14T10:08:00.000-05:00

The part I hate most about sitting down to write a blog post, is figuring out how to start it. The second thing I hate most about sitting down to write a blog post, is figuring out how to combine two weeks worth of experiences into a post that won’t bore the pants off of anyone reading it. So this is where I sit right now. No idea how to begin describing my two weeks in Daytona Beach, and no desire really to recap two weeks worth of happenings!

A friend of mine once wrote about how irritating her blog can become as it forces her to sit down and recap the experience she just had. At the time, I couldn’t understand how she wouldn’t be able to find joy in informing the world of her life, but as I sit here today – irritated – I am beginning to understand exactly what she was talking about.

I just don’t feel like doing it.

It’s easier to list off things that I loved about it: the ocean, the diversity, the really cool motorcycles, the free drinks all week; and it’s fun to recap the things that sucked about it: the rain, not seeing Katie, the male comments…but what good are random lists to someone who doesn’t know the story behind any of them.

So alas, my two weeks at Daytona Beach Bike Week will go undocumented, at least on this Weblog. I’ll post some pictures as soon as I have those all compiled and at that point, you can create your own story for my time there.

I’ll be back in a bit with a post about something a bit closer to home, and a bit more interesting to MOST people reading this blog…the Justin Timberlake concert. Now that is something I wouldn’t mind recapping over and over again.

I must go daydream now.

Las Vegas, Round 5

2007-02-27T08:16:00.000-06:00

In a city such as Vegas, it’s no wonder that it becomes a highly frequented city, considering all that there is to do there. In the five times that I have stayed in Las Vegas, I have managed to leave with a very different experience each and every time, and each time I find myself loving it more and more. I have had trips dedicated solely to drinking and partying in which I was given a thorough look at some of the fabulous nightlife that Vegas has to offer, while other trips were dedicated to the sole purpose of relaxing by the fabulous pool, to which I must say Mandalay Bay remains one of my favorites. I have seen shows, and eaten at amazing restaurants. I have shopped at one-of-a-kind stores, gambled in a number of different casinos, and walked down the strip with a beer in my hand. I’ve seen live music, I’ve ridden a number of rides, and I’ve spent countless hours relaxing in a number of different spas. Yes, Vegas is probably my most frequented vacation spot, and I can’t say that I’ve ever had more fun than I have when I go there.

This weekend I went back, this time in celebration of my brother’s 21st birthday and like every other time, it failed to disappoint me. We stayed at the Mirage (a first for me), where we spent a combined total of about 10 hours sleeping and about 60 hours partying and gambling. We partied like rock stars that’s for sure (my parents included), taking stretch limos to clubs, renting out VIP rooms, and drinking Grey Goose by the bottle. Who cares if we couldn’t technically afford it…we were in VEGAS! Some of us partied a little too hard. In fact, I ended up leaving early and carrying one of my brother’s friends home from RAIN one night because he was puking in our VIP room and was too intoxicated to walk on his own. I have to say that it was my first time ever being escorted out of a club by security guards.

When we weren’t clubbing, we were gambling, and the majority of us were winning! Hundred dollar Blackjack hands could be seen throughout our group of 13 and that came with both very big wins, as well as very big losses. My winnings were spent in the Forum Shops of Caesars palace where I treated myself to my first Kate Spade purse (and matching wallet/clutch) and a fabulous pair of Betsey Johnson stiletto shoes. Yes, I am a designer whore. I love buying myself something I couldn’t normally afford when I win money I wouldn’t have normally had.

Although we did party hard, the trip didn’t consist of a total drunken stupor. We managed to have a number of really good meals and I squeezed in a few naps as well as some down time at the hotel hot tub (it was too cold to go swimming). Overall I think it was a great trip, and I think my brother had a really great time! I wish the trip had been a bit more relaxing than it was considering I leave for Daytona on Wednesday for two weeks, but I suppose you can’t really expect that when heading to Las Vegas.

I didn't go to Grammar School

2007-02-19T21:19:00.000-06:00

In doing research today for a few work projects, I came across a number of articles written on the subject of grammar, and our declining English language. Some of them made me laugh at how annoyed people get when people don’t properly use their words, and some made me want to grab my Webster and study up immediately. They all got me thinking though, and they sparked the need inside of me to explain a few things about us non-English majored members of the English speaking world. Although I speak for nobody else but myself.

I have terrible grammar, and probably even worse spelling (which doesn’t say too much). I’m sure that anyone who has every read this blog knows that little fact about me, and I am grateful that regardless of my occasional misuse of the English language, many of you continue to frequent my ramblings; even though you may cringe inside when I throw in a few too many run on sentences, or make a word plural that isn’t exactly supposed to be. (speaking of…was that last sentence a run-on?)

However, the great thing about the Weblog world is that I don’t HAVE to be a great speller or have fantastic English to do what some people had to go through many years of schooling to do, and that is to write. Sure I don’t get paid to update people on my life, and my words aren’t as pretty to read as some, but it’s an opportunity for me to do something that up until recently, was only reserved for personal diaries. People actually READ what I write, and some actually enjoy it!

But Christi, you speak English, you live in the United States, you SHOULD know how to speak proper English, or at least spell correctly! I couldn’t agree more. However, aside from my poor spelling (which I attribute to my reliance on spell check), my only knowledge of proper grammar use is what I learned in Grade School. GRADE SCHOOL. Outside of my 6th grade English I have never once had to learn anything even remotely close to grammar “right and wrongs”. So blame the educational system, not me =)

I guess the excuse I’m trying to make is aside from the simple “their, they’re, and there” we learned in our earlier years, my knowledge base of the matter simply isn’t there. And since I don’t do this professionally, why delve into it so deeply? Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe it’s important to remain educated on the English language, after all, we use it every single day! But to think of all the possible mistakes that are out there to make when using all of these fabulous words of ours is exhausting! I’ll let the professionals deal with all of them.

To sum it up: I didn’t go to school to learn every grammatical error that is possible to make, so I’m going to make mistakes sometimes. I’ll continue to try to grow as a literary human being, but in the mean time, you may just have to tough out some “pet-peevy” type mistakes. I apologize to those that this bothers. But know, that while I’m aggravating you with my words, I’m having a great time sharing my thoughts with all of you =)

Too many thoughts to combine into an actual post

2007-02-09T09:01:00.000-06:00

My end of week thoughts:

Is it that far fetched of an idea to think that we as humans have had a drastically devastating effect on the earth and the environment? And why does this have to be such a political debate. Shouldn’t we all want to do something good, to keep the place we live clean and healthy?

I could never, in a million years, work in a warehouse for 40 hours a week. Mad props to those that can!

Friendships need nurturing, and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

So do relationships for that matter. ALL relationships I guess.

Am I supposed to feel MORE sad about Anna Nicole Smith dying than I am say of the small child that was recently killed in my hometown, simply because she’s well recognized?

Getting paid for 25 hours of overtime that you spent in Orlando, Florida isn’t that bad of a deal.

I think it should be mandatory that every human being partake in some sort of Yoga exercise or meditation in the morning before they head to work. People on their morning commutes are entirely too stressed out to be driving…and sometimes they’re just mean. It hurts my feelings.

GWEN STEFANI is coming to the Bradley Center!! Who’s coming with me?!

And for that matter…what ever happened to that Justin Timberlake concert Jayne?

I spend way too much money, on too many unnecessary things.

I miss living next door to Jimmy Johns.

It’s funny how 12 degrees can feel so warm when you compare it to 15 below. Ah, the wonder of relative comparisons.

I love cinnamon, especially in the morning.

I enjoy getting up at 6:00 in the morning. I just wish my body felt the same way.

Winter Dealer Meeting 2007

2007-02-02T18:14:00.000-06:00

After a week of traveling, I have finally had the opportunity to sit down at my computer, and spit out an update into the life of a jet-set working girl =) I must admit that after a week away from home, my life is feeling a bit disorderly, and chaotic and I have a feeling it's going to take me a few days to re-enter some sort of routine and organization. But alas, chaos of life aside, I am long over-due for a blog update (as is usually the case) so I have set aside a few minutes here to stop unpacking, sit down on the chair, and hammer away on my little keyboard.

My trip to Orlando, FL this past week was both exciting and exhausting, with a range of emotions thrown somewhere in between that spectrum. As I departed General Mitchel International Airport early Friday morning, destined for my first event far away from home, I had much anticipation for what lay ahead of me in those coming 6 days and I hoped that at the end of it all, I would be able to leave with a reaffirmation that I was truly destined to be in the events industry.

It was tough at first to grasp what I was supposed to be doing with myself, but I think most of that stemmed from my insecurity of wandering around a strange city by myself, representing a company I had only been employed by for three weeks. But the independent girl in me took over eventually and after getting my bags, finding the hotel shuttle, and checking into the hotel I was ready to begin my assignment.

I arrived to a convention hall bustling with union workers and a few of my fellow employees who had arrived earlier in the day, working hard to get the events center ready for the coming show. I found my boss, and after a quick chat, I was put right to work. The rest of the marketing employees trickled in throughout the rest of the day and at 6:00 we all decided to call it a night, and I hit up the closest seafood/sushi bar with a few of my female co-workers to put a cap on the hard day of setup.

The remaining couple of days went pretty much the same way, minus the air travel of course. Get up, grab coffee, set-up, go home. By the time Monday came I was so exhausted from the 10 hour work days, that I found myself happily in bed by 8:00 each night.

Monday was the first day of the show and from what I hear it went really well. I spent the first day doing mindless tasks like handing out promotional t-shirts and assisting my boss with seminars. The next few days of the show I wandered around the show floor feeling pretty useless. It's hard to find your place occasionally in such a large company, especially when you're so new and your skill sets haven't exactly been determined yet. My boss tried to keep me as busy as possible, but for the most part I just stood around and smiled, trying to make myself look busy =)

The show wrapped up on Wednesday, and a few of us celebrated with an outing to Downtown Disney for some yummy Cuban food, plenty of Mojitos, and some dancing at the local Irish pub. It was the perfect end to a long hard week.

And with that, my week ended. I boarded my flight back home early Thursday morning and I was back to work today. As I look back at the week I have to say that it wasn't exactly what I had envisioned it to be, but I can't say that I'm dissapointed either. I think for my first show it went as well as it could have. I learned a lot, met a lot of great people, and familiarized myself with yet another gorgeous US city =)

In getting back to my previous inquiry: Am I cut out for the events industry? I think it's still too soon to say, but I'm optimistic for what lies ahead. My next stop is Daytona Beach, FL at the end of this month. It'll be one more event closer to figuring out my true professional calling in life, or if nothing else a fabulous excuse to hang out away from the bitter cold of Wisconsin for two weeks.

Looking back on 2006

2007-01-05T19:10:00.000-06:00

I'm not one to make resolutions. Yes there are things I'd like to change, and do differently but come February and into the rest of the year those resolutions begin to take a backseat to the rest of life and suddenly I'm spending less and less time at the gym and less and less time volunteering as much as I said I was going to. And then I'm mad at myself for not sticking to them. So instead, each year I just vow to do better. To learn from the past, and not carry the same mistakes into the new year. And with that, instead of a resolution list, I have looked back on 2006 and taken into account all that I have learned and experienced in the past year. Last year, as with every year, I made mistakes...and I learned from them. It's all about growing.

Here's what I've learned in 2006:

Don’t leave empty water glasses next to the couch

Camping after a huge rainstorm is NEVER a good idea

A smile during a big fight is one of the most comforting things ever!

Sometimes a simple hug can make everything okay.

I miss Milwaukee.

I miss Chicago even more.

Don’t live your own life according to other people’s paths.

Finding a new job SUCKS!

But landing a new job is a fantastic feeling!

NEVER be the overly-drunk bridesmaid

Pink boas will always make for a great night.

I know nothing about motorcycles.

Shooting a gun isn’t as terrifying as I once thought.

Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t make anything any better.

Always lock your front door.

Girls night out is a much needed adventure every couple of months.

Some people never change

Choosing between a career and love is one of the hardest decisions I’ve been faced with.

Follow your heart

I missed AIM.

Facebook is a million times more addicting than Myspace.

Nicky makes the best martinis on the planet!

Ex’s will always cause drama…at some point.

Don’t start drinking hours before a concert, 45 minutes away…you’ll never make it there.

Flippy Cup is the best drinking game EVER!

Phase 10 and Cranium run a close second and third.

Game nights should happen much more than they do.

BUDGET!

Stop at all red lights.

Flavor Blasted Goldfish crackers are NOT a substitute for a complete meal.

Let guys buy you drinks in Vegas...unless they are 45 with bleached blonde hair and are wearing their sunglasses in the club.

Be honest about money up front…not after the tickets have been purchased. =)

Get pissed and then get over it.

Open and honest communication lines solve everything.

Book clubs are a good idea, but the wine and gossip part is an even better one!

Don’t go off the gift registry unless you’re SURE nobody else is going to buy what you did.

Everybody at the bar does not need you to buy them a drink.

I still hate Oshkosh.

Don’t learn how to snowboard on an intermediate hill.

Being interviewed on TV is a really cool feeling.

A fashion show cannot be planned in a few days.

Belly dancing is not all it’s cracked up to be.

The princess of Iceland is pretty!

Bite your tongue.

Fasting sucks!

I don’t blog nearly enough.

Some of the best friends that I have, I see only every few months.

A Little Bit of Positivity Goes a Long Way

2006-12-13T12:22:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, if you would have asked me how I was doing, I would have instinctively responded with “I’m fine”, as seems to be the common and accepted response these days to that question. But in all truth and honesty, I was sad and depressed. I was feeling really down and sorry for myself that I was living back at home and had no future job prospects in the making. Plus, to top it all off, the Christmas season was upon me and I couldn’t have wished for anything to pass over more quickly in my life. I was broke, and it was warm, and I was leaving for Christmas anyways to spend it in Utah, yes still with my family but, away from my beloved holiday tradition. I was just crabby about the situation in general. I hated feeling self indulgent but sometimes when the negative feelings come, it’s hard to replace them with something positive. It’s easier to just let them snowball sometimes.

That is, until something positive actually does come along! Today, two weeks later I am a happier person. I got the job I had been hoping for; we got a massive dumping of snow catapulting me into full blown Christmas mode, and to top it all off, WE’RE STICKING AROUND FOR CHRISTMAS! I couldn’t be more ecstatic with how things have worked out, and it feels so good to be happy about life again. Granted I’m still broke, and there’s no more snow left on the ground, oh...and I’m still living at home, but I’m okay with all of that =) I have the personal satisfaction of knowing I am spreading my wings and challenging life on my own, and I have the anticipation of a fantastic holiday season ahead of me. I have my fantastic friends, my loving family, a warm home, lots of love, and many other blessed things in my life. When you break it all down, and take a look at it all, I really am a very lucky girl. I only wish I could have seen that two weeks ago.

Two interviews later

2006-12-11T20:33:00.000-06:00

...and I got the job...

HORRAY!

A Christmas Carol

2006-12-10T11:16:00.000-06:00

If anyone is bored this holiday season and is looking for something to do, go see A Christmas Carol at the Milwaukee Rep/Pabst Theatre. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Now, I must admit that when the first mention of seeing the play in Milwaukee was brought up, I didn’t have the highest expectations. I’ve seen a number of plays/musicals in Milwaukee and they have failed to wow me in the past. I assumed this one wouldn’t be any different, but I welcomed the idea of a night out at the theatre anyways…even if it was in Milwaukee.

I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised.

Tara and I arrived just as the lights began to blink in the lobby indicating it was time for us to take our seats. We were escorted to the third row and sat amidst a sold out crowd, dressed to the nines in their business suits, tuxedos, and occasional evening gowns. I took a minute to take in the well dressed crowd, and the gorgeous scenery around me that the Pabst theatre so proudly boasts. Within a matter of moments the music began to play and I was transported back to the late 1800’s, enjoying the classic Christmas tale that Charles Dickens created so many years ago.

The costuming was gorgeous, the set was really quite stunning, and I found myself both laughing and crying throughout most of the production! To top it all off, Jonathan Smoots (whom I’ve seen many times at the American Players Theatre) took the role as the Ghost of Christmas Past and I was thrilled to see a familiar face up there on the stage in Milwaukee!

I left the show with a HUGE smile on my face and an affirmation that Milwaukee can produce some fabulous live theatre. They just need to be given a fair chance.

A Spontaneous Ski Trip

2006-12-06T13:00:00.000-06:00

I am not a winter type of girl. In fact, I’m quite the baby once the temperatures drop below 50 degrees, and I just can’t seem to ever quite get warm enough. I spend many winter nights plopped on top of heating vents, perched in front of fireplaces, or just simply incapacitated under a blanket on my couch. I truly feel that my body is just not genetically engineered to handle the cold. But alas, amidst my extreme discomfort around subzero temperatures (read: slightly cold), I have a love of snow and all things associated with it, so I’m often able to fight through the deep chill that runs through my body 5 months out of the year, and get out there and enjoy winter!

Last night, my dad and I took a spontaneous trip to Alpine Valley Ski Resort in East Troy, WI to hit a couple of the hills and enjoy the first great snowfall of the season. I suited up in my brother’s old snowboard gear (I haven’t purchased any new skiing equipment for myself in a number of years) and headed to the hills with my dad. We rented some equipment (for such a spontaneous trip it was too much work to haul all of our own personal equipment to the resort) and plopped ourselves on the chair lifts.

It was BITTER cold out there, and the blowing snow that engulfed the ski hill was almost intolerable. I made it down about 8 times and finally after an hour had to call it a night as I was completely frozen solid. It was so great to get out there though. The fresh air and the speed of a Black Diamond slope is something I wouldn’t be able to pass up no matter how cold or uncomfortable I was. Even it was just for an hour

Christmas Party 2006

2006-12-04T19:26:00.000-06:00

A whirlwind of a weekend is behind me and luckily the hangover that resided after Saturday night’s escapade has subsided and life has resumed on this cold Monday.

The store is put back to normal as the Christy’s Bridal/Anderson/Webley Chiropractic annual Christmas party has come and gone. Every dress is put back on it’s shelf, every ounce of spilled wine and beer is cleaned up, and the quiet little shop I have grown to love is just that today…quiet.

While I don’t think we’ll be hosting such a grand event at the little salon any time soon again, I do have to say that the night came together really nicely and that little shop can accommodate some five star decorations and make you feel as though you’re paying $100 for your plate of dinner at a cozy restaurant down town Chicago…even though you’re really partying in a bridal salon in Burlington, WI =)

But the event didn’t come without its stress. After closing the salon on Friday to prep for the weekend’s festivities, Melinda, my mom and I spent all day (and well into the evening) on Friday, cleaning up and moving out everything being held on the first floor of our tiny shop. Dresses were crammed into fitting rooms, decorations were put into closets, and 5 round tables covered in rich linens now filled the room that once held hundreds of dresses and racks. Decorating came next and by Saturday at 5:00 the room was full of Christmas cheer and the caterers had arrived…as well as the guests.

Louise’s out of Milwaukee did a fabulous job with the catering and I enjoyed my food immensely! After dinner we played a few Christmas party games, did a few too many shots, and I called it a night around 12:30. The party itself wrapped up around 3:30, with the last of the party animals stumbling their way home, and by Sunday the Christmas Party was over and what was left was a disastrous store and a day full of cleaning ahead of us.

I was pretty hung over on Sunday, and I wasn’t much help in the cleaning department, but I did what I could under the circumstances. As we swept, mopped, and dragged dresses back to the salon we laughed at how much work was put into a 6 hour event. Never again we said…never again.

But it was sure fun while it lasted.

View the pictures here

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2006-12-01T10:09:00.000-06:00

IT’S SNOWING!!!

A huge dumping, white covered, doesn’t show any signs of stopping kind of snowfall. It’s the kind of snow that silences the world around you with its thick blanket and dense fall. It’s the beautiful white powder that looms over streets and housetops before the salt trucks have a chance to muck it all up and turn it brown and unpleasant. It’s the same kind of morning that I used to wish for really hard every winter in Grade School because I knew that the next morning school would be cancelled…and today it has been. Best of all, it’s the type of weather that I needed to put me back into the Christmas mood I’ve been missing this season.

I LOVE snow. Hate winter, love snow. As much as I say I want to, I would never be able to leave this in search of warmer weather. Sure I complain about it come February and March, but I would never want to miss the opportunity to miss the first great snowfall of the season. Days like today are priceless to me. No ocean could ever replace a Wisconsin Blizzard.

It Has Arrived

2006-11-15T13:04:00.000-06:00

It's here! It's finally here!

That time of year when The Mix plays it's non-stop holiday music and when every store is bursting with twinkling lights and the smells of pine trees. It's the time of year when snow reminds you of innocence and days off of school and when the thought of Santa kept you awake at night. It's a time for decorated store windows and endless shopping lists. It's holiday cheer, warm egg nog, and falling in love around a fire place. Yet finally, who could forget the one thing that I look forward to most each and every year....

THE VICTORIA'S SECRET ANNUAL HOLIDAY CATALOGUE!

Each page is filled with gorgeous exotic lingerie, fabulous gift sets, and of course...adorable holiday attire (including a pink rhinestone Santa hat). Sure I can never afford the 6,000,000 bra that tends to show up, but it's fun to pretend none-the-less.

Now, I have vowed not to turn on The Mix to indulge in the holiday music until AFTER I get through Thanksgiving, and I'm certainly not ready to start putting up my Christmas Tree just yet. But there's something about the VS Holiday Catalogue that tells me...it's okay to start a little early this year. What girl couldn't use a sexy new nighty ;)

The credit card is patiently waiting in my wallet.

Melrose Nights....Revisited

2006-11-10T00:06:00.000-06:00

Does anyone remember Melrose Place? That swanky drama about a bunch of 20-somethings trying to live in Los Angeles while sleeping with each other in the process!!! Who WOULDN’T miss that!

The DVD box set of Season One came out on Tuesday and for the past three days I have been engulfed in the dramas of my past. I’m reminded of Wednesday evenings in High School when my two best friends would drive over to my house and we would lounge around in front of the TV eagerly awaiting our Melrose Place nights. We’d pull out my big stuffed dog, fight for who got to lay on the fluffiest part of him, and chat while watching our favorite characters make out, break up, and then date their best friend.

Our Wednesday night get togethers were sure missed once Melrose Place was cancelled.

Through my years I had all but forgotten about Melrose Place, except for the random mentions of it during Pop Culture shows on VH1 or MTV, but then suddenly in a random trip through Target, I catch a glimpse of what used to be and I couldn’t help myself from putting down the $60 and popping it into my DVD player.

It’s a bit more lame than I remember it being when I was 16 but it’s fun to go back none-the-less. Now if only they’d bring Rainbow Bright back. My blast from the past may be very well complete.

Back to School?

2006-11-07T22:15:00.000-06:00

I never envisioned this whole “finding myself” process to be so stressful. As I watch my peers around me grow up and move into their “grown up” professional and personal lives, I’ve found myself taking a look at my own life and wondering…”Where the H am I going with it?!” As my year of resume padding at Christy’s Bridal has come to a close, the stress of job hunting has come upon me...again and yet, as I continue to browse through my options in the fashion industry (or lack there of in this area) I can’t help but realize that I’m no longer as passionate about it all as I once was.

Sure I love great clothes and over priced designer labels, but what I’ve found I love even more than that is the consumer behavior behind all of it. WHAT makes us buy what we do, HOW do we get them to continue to do it?! In my time at Christy’s I’ve found myself focusing more and more on the advertising and marketing portions of my job description, and less and less with the fashion portion of my job. I LOVE writing (although I’m not very good at it), I LOVE brainstorming with groups of people to regurgitate out some new great marketing idea, and I LOVE implementing all of that into one fabulous special event to promote the hell out of something!! Suddenly the dresses and the merchandising have taken a backseat to everything else I once thought was my “calling”.

I know that you hear all the time how many people transfer jobs like 30 times before they find something they love, and some people have two, three, even FOUR bachelors degrees on their resume because they just can’t seem to find that exact fit. I realize that in an age of limitless options it’s only natural that we’d take full advantage of all of it, but I never envisioned myself needing to. I always thought I was made for the fashion industry.

But as I do my own growing up, and my own personal career exploration I’m finding that what once was true just isn’t so much anymore. Dear lord the story of my life! So I’m contemplating heading back to school and switching focus a little bit; maybe something along the Advertising or Journalism lines. I have many creative friends already in the industries so I’ll have plenty of help along the way if need be, and plenty of advice to go off of this time around.

We’ll see though. Tomorrow is another day, with a whole different set of emotions to go along with it. =)

Shout Out Number 4

2006-10-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

I realize that I normally do my “shout outs” on Friday, but in wake of this weekend’s festivities, I won’t be around tomorrow to blog about anything, and this particular shout out is much too important to go un-noticed. In fact, it’s so important, that it merits its own entire entry.

So, for this week, I’d like to send a single, simple, one-and only shout out.

TO ERIN AND DAVE’S WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For a year and a half we have been planning, and emailing, and partying, and shopping, and chatting all things wedding…just waiting for this day to arrive. And now, in just two short days my best friend on the planet will be walking down the isle to say “I Do” to the man of her dreams. It sure makes you all ooey and gooey inside over love doesn’t it?

The wedding festivities kick off tomorrow with a girly day of lunch and manis/pedis then rehearsal, dinner and then Saturday we awake to October 28….the wedding.

I can’t wait. I’m just beaming from the inside out.

I’ll be back on Monday everyone (with tons of pictures I’m sure).

*cheers to love*