As one chapter ends, the next one begins!

One of those thinking hours.

2012-01-26T01:52:00.001-05:00

Hmmmmmm.

That's right. I am awake in the middle of the night. It is closing in on 1:00am. I'm normally in bed at this time. But I am having "one of those thinking hours."

I'm thinking about a lot of things right now.

First of all, I'm thinking how this freezing rain outside sounds like coffee brewing... and I don't even own a coffee pot. ^__^

But I guess I've worked in restaurants long enough to know what coffee sounds like when it brews. And my parents own a coffee pot.

I'm also thinking... that I've become addicted to Panera's caramel lattes, frozen mochas, and cinnamon rolls. And... Starbucks' white chocolate mochas, caffe mochas, and hot chocolates.

I'm also thinking that "calories" really is "king." And I should cut down on these drinks... before the calories rule my life. That, and all that caffeine can't be that healthy.

Headaches come when I withdrawal from something.

Also, life really should be taken one day at a time.

Lately, I've thought about Martina McBride's song, "This One's for the Girls." The compact disc (CD) and music video for this came out when I was a sophomore in high school. I was 15 - 16 years old. Here's the first verse to that song:

"This is for all you girls about thirteen.
High school can be so rough, can be so mean.
Hold onto, onto your innocence.
Stand your ground when everybody's giving in."

I did discover that high school wasn't very nice.
College was better!
I was innocent in high school. Won "Shyest Girl" as my Class of 2006 award.
I think I did stand my ground in high school.
I just wasn't thirteen.

Well, a few years have passed. And I've been thinking about Martina's second verse:

"This is for all you girls about twenty-five.
In little apartments, just trying to get by.
Living on, on dreams and spaghetti-o's.
Wondering where your life is gonna go."

Wow! How did I become part of the second verse so quickly? And I will tell you... I saw myself/married with maybe a child, maybe a decent apartment or house, and hopefully past the stage of dreaming. And maybe a dog was in the picture. Or a cat. Or some chickens.
Well, I'm definitely still dreaming.

And I really don't know where my life is going to go. I'm hoping somewhere.

I want to travel. I want to report what I see. I want to write and tell people about my dream job. I want to see new lands. I know everything has been discovered already, but in my opinion, I still want to see many places. It's worth a try.

I want to take chances. I want to be spontaneous without being worried.

I want to make intelligent choices.

Maybe it's good that I'm not married at this point in my life. :)

In the meantime, my heart quickens when I see my little Southwest and Airtran displays. And railroad crossings.

I've recently discovered that I enjoy chocolate chip banana bread.

Okay... I admit it. In Math class, when we had those "if train A leaves the station at 5:35am and is accelerating at 70mph, and train B is..." problems, I was actually more focused on who was all on both trains, and where were they going? What did the conductor look like? What was he thinking about when he saw train B pass by?

I do like numbers.

Why haven't I been remembering my dreams at night lately?

Besides work and phone conversations, I haven't talked much lately.

I wish life had an "erase" button.
I wish life had a "stay permanent" button.

On the bumper cars ride at the fair, I would probably continually say, "I'm sorry" each time I bumped into someone.

Lighthouses are amazing.

:)

Will Spongebob ever get his boating license?

I wish I didn't need so much reassurance.

I've been too worried about people's approval, and I have forgotten about seeking God's approval. :(

I miss my "quiet time" in the Word.

I need Him.

No wonder I've been confused, saddened and disappointed.

This week, I have found that it is true when they say, "They just don't make them like they used to."

Fruits and vegetables. Enough said.

I need to take my multivitamin.

Lately, I've been puzzled by the "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make noise?" question.

"One size fits all" is an exaggeration.

I miss George W. Bush as the President of the United States.

I love 1980's music.

I'm thinking it'd be a cool idea to make purses.

I am liking that Ohio isn't getting much snow this year (oh, watch! It's probably going to be a blizzard tomorrow. I'm sorry for the jinks!)

I am hungry.

Acne has never been an issue for me.

I still bite my fingernails. I've never had a manicure.

I have an empty jar in front of me. What to do with it???

I like touching cold metal things. :)

Bib overalls were sure a quick "come and go" fashion.

Bubbles.

I have been overwhelmed with the thought: If today was my last day...

I can hopefully spell ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM.

"Let's Go Fly a Kite."

Actually, I am going to sleep. This has been one interesting hour of thinking.

Good night, everyone! Happy Thursday. :)

5 Question Friday! :.: snacks, cleanliness, traveling, & blanket questions

2012-01-20T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hey! :D

Ahhhh, it seems like it's been FOREVER since I have participated in "Five Question Friday." So, I am going to do just that today.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?
Haha! Well, now that I'm living alone, my snacks are either in a bowl by the sofa (which has, literally, one piece of candy left in it!), or they're on the top shelf of the cupboard. And shorty here has to stand on a chair to put them away & get them out.
When I attended Evangel, my snacks were hidden in my suitcases, which were in the storage closet on the fourth floor.
At MVNU, my snacks were hidden either under my bed, in my closet, or hidden behind my "academics."

2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van?
The car I drive stays clean a good amount of the time. I try not to make it too cluttered. But yes, you will find receipts and Starbucks cups... oh, and quite a few bottled waters or empty bottles lying in there.
But I do clean the car out nicely from time to time.

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?
No.
And other than just to see it and just to travel, I don't really want to.
I don't gamble. I don't drink.
And I don't see myself eloping anytime soon. ;)

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket?
Good question! Because I do get cold at night, and because it dropped down to 12 degrees Farenheit last night, I've been sleeping with the heater on and lighter blankets. And fuzzy PJ pants. ^_^

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?
You know... I LOVE to fly, and I am VERY thankful that I don't have one of those "oh my gosh! the trip was so horrible. I'm never flying again!" stories.
My first plane trip was the summer between 11th & 12th grades. And I've flown a decent amount of times with my parents since then, and a couple times by myself.
I do admit that I really enjoy traveling by myself. I feel more grown up. <3
But flying is my favorite way to travel, and I'm thankful that I have nothing horrible to share. I mean, I've experienced "moderate chop" and a little bit of turbulence, but not enough to make me want to drive the next time I travel.

Lots to do, not so much time :.: cute dogs :.: loving my haircut

2012-01-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been overwhelmed with how much there is to do, and how little hours there are in the day. I swear that you don't notice these things when you're a kid. When you're a kid, your greatest worries are missing your favorite TV show and being forced to eat your vegetables.

I'm not really big on TV anymore. I watch more DVDs and reruns on DVD sets than anything. Needless to say, cable is not really a priority for me in my apartment.

But as an adult, I'm continually learning more ways to manage my time better. Different ways to use my time better at and outside of work, and attempting to get certain things done on certain days.

And of course, it doesn't help that it gets dark around 6:00pm. I'm looking forward to when daylight stays with us longer.

But then again, I am also learning not to go so hard on myself when I don't get to everything on my list for that day. That's why I always have a new list to start. Hehe. But really, when you're caught up in several emotions and feelings, and when you're just not sure on certain decisions, there are certain things that make your day less overwhelming.

For instance, how can you resist looking at this cute dog?

awwww.

It's the little things in life. So, my lesson for you today: Don't ignore the cute dogs. :)

Well, I am LOVING the lighter feeling of my haircut. :D

And I mailed my hair out yesterday morning. As we speak, it is on its way to Locks of Love in Florida.

I've just been brainstroming on things to do with my hair. Well, I've started out with a "root booster" and volumizer that they gave me at the salon. And before I got my haircut, I found some fun hair clips and pins to put in my hair. I haven't "decorated" my hair like that for awhile. I'm looking forward to experimenting and seeing what short hairstyles I can come up with. And if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear from you. :)

And... I will NOT post this picture on Facebook, but here's what my hair looks like when I wake up in the morning.

Just a little something for you guys to (hopefully) make you smile... if it doesn't scare you! Hehe.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Haircut! :.: donation :.: loving life :)

2012-01-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I have about 20 minutes to write this. The library closes at 8:30. :(

First of all, let me say that I have figured out some of Blogger's changes. Aha. AHA! Remember when my past few entries were squished together into one ridiculously long paragraph? Well, I figured out how to space my thoughts out again. So, now my entries will look a little better. Hopefully.

It's a nice feature to have your thoughts lined up the way you want them.

No, really, it is.

Next... take a look to the right at my "Blogs I Follow" list.

--------------->

As you can see, I have updated the list! A couple blogs have been added to the list, as well as a couple blog titles changed. I know I've been terrible at blogging lately, but cut me some slack. I'm trying to improve.

Well, I have a lot of things to say, but not enough time to say them. But one thing I will share tonight is that I have gotten my hair cut for the first time since January 2010!!

And I am sending some hair to Locks of Love in the mail tomorrow! Weeeeee! This is my THIRD time donating hair in my life.

I've enjoyed it. I've never been on a mission trip, or been on a huge life-changing experience to help others (BUT I have always wanted to!), but I am thankful for the elibility to donate blood and to donate hair. I've donated blood 11 times in my life. I haven't donated blood recently, but I am planning to again soon. :)

As I said, this is my third time donating hair. I'm excited! Here's some before & after pictures.

BEFORE!

DURING!

AND... AFTER!!!

Hehe.

:)

Okay... I have to go now. Library is closing! Have a wonderful evening! :D

Today...

2012-01-06T22:21:00.001-05:00

What a day!Today, I...Incessantly forgot that it was Friday.Drank a frozen mocha.Explored different parts of downtown.Felt inspired at a railroad crossing.Got prices at some local restaurants.Hung out with a friend.Worried.Laughed.Needed reassurance.Went to the library.Knew that a library card is wanted... soon.Thought deeply about the Titanic.Read a newsletter. Read some blogs, but haven't responded to any yet.Found the courthouse.Emptied my pockets.Walked through a metal detector to use the restroom.Got my purse searched.Mailed a couple of letters.Received a Christmas gift in the mail.Had several "what if?" scenarios pop in my head.Found answers for all those "what if?" scenarios.Rediscovered chocolate chip cookies in different sizes.Ate at a restaurant called "Muddy Waters Cafe."Smiled.Panicked.Had the train station on my mind, for some reason.Daydreamed.Walked around stores, but didn't buy anything!Wrote a poem in my head, and then forgot it.Found that I want to focus less on myself.Got ideas.Realized that I need to take my vitamins.Adored the warmer temperature and lack of snow.Wanted to dance in a gazebo, but didn't.Drank lots of water.Drank Coca-Cola.Admired a clock tower.Thought about trying to donate blood again... soon!Thought about hairstyles.Did Math.Drove around downtown... WITHOUT the GPS.Saw lots of taxis.Loved the moments of being spontaneous.Focused too much on what people might think of me.Carried my journal with me.Made a blog entry on my cell phone.*please note: all these things really did happen, but not in any particular order.

New Years :.: snow :.: eating :.: cooking blog! :.: work

2012-01-05T15:55:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I am so excited to start fresh and have a new year to look forward to.My New Year's was great! I actually had plans this year, which was really nice. One of my college roommates (from my junior year!) invited me to her house for a get together with some of her church friends.It was fun! Here's some pictures from that night. :)

As you can see, lots of card playing, talking, socializing, and eating... and of course, watching the ball drop. :)It was nice to see one of my old roommates again! And I really enjoyed the little road trip. It was 1 hr & 30 minute drive both ways for me, and I didn't get back to my apartment until about 2 AM. I was very thankful for good weather and safe travels. :)Since New Year's Eve, I've been either working or finding some way to keep myself busy each day.Work is still going well. As of January 4, we started a new celebration, so we have some new menu items. It looks like our featured item this celebration is SALMON. hehe. We also have a new iced tea, which is has concord grapes and berries in it, and it has no sugar, no carbohydrates, and no calories. And of course, we have a couple new bakery items. Yum. Can you all tell that I'm going to enjoy this celebration? hehe. I am! I wasn't too excited on some of the things from our Christmas (yes, I said "Christmas." Not holiday.) celebration. This next one really excites me! :DWe've also hired some new employees these past few days, week, month, etc. I think we're going to have some more new people pretty soon.Other than work, I've been either out and about, exploring my new home areas, I've been cold. Brrrr. For awhile, we were having a pretty decent winter. We actually didn't have a white Christmas, but that is okay. We pretty much have a white Christmas every year, so 2011 was a nice break. But this week, it has been COLD. It was 19 degrees a couple of days ago, in the mid-morning. We had our first real snowfall this week.

And for those of you who don't know what snow is, it is a white, powdery, sometimes icy, slippery, and potentially dangerous work of art that arrives uninvited (well, maybe sometimes invited), and it causes water to freeze.

Hehe.What else have I been doing? Well, I've been eating. Lots of eating. And I've also started cooking. Yes, it's true. I am learning how to cook. I made my first entree on Monday, which was my New Year's meal. Spaghetti! It turned out well. :)

There will be more pictures of this, and the process of making it in.... MY NEW BLOG!Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen.Please visit my Adventures in Cooking blog. Now, I am working on the first entry (spaghetti!) right now, so it is not yet published. Give me about 20 more minutes (4:20pm EST).I'm looking forward to this new blog, as well as continuing my current blog.Have a blessed Thursday evening!And... forgive me of how squished my entry looks. I'm not understanding Blogger's new format, so my entries just because squished. I meant for spaces between my words/subject. Grrr.

Farewell, 2011 :.: my 24th birthday :.: looking forward!

2011-12-31T14:28:00.002-05:00

THIS IS... my last entry of 2011! Man, this year passed by quickly. I am happy with everything that went on this year! I graduated college, traveled to NYC, got a job at Panera Bread, moved into an apartment, spent time with friends, felt inspired on so many levels, and I turned 24 years old!Here are some pictures from MY 2011. :)

Remember the college Sunday school "Home Away from Home" group I was part of? This is back in January. The ladies stayed late that evening to make bracelets! :DFrom left to right: Clarissa, Katie, Tracy, Katie, me, Britt, Sylvia, Sarah, and Glee.

This is from the Lakeholm ladies' retreat I attended in early February. I loved this ranch! So cozy and fun. I would like to return someday. :)

Ouch! Be careful of wet floors. This is when I sprained my wrist at the end of February. It took about 4 weeks to heal.

Welcome to March! College was not all academics. This is when Katie, Kristianna, Kristi ate at Fiesta Mexicana, followed by seeing Gnomeo & Juliet... and then I think we all went for ice cream that night.

This is also in March. In Mount Vernon is a very well-known eatery called Southside Diner. Well, people were in shock when it was my second year at MVNU and that I had never eaten at Southside Diner. So, this was my first time there. It was a girls' day out after church. :)Me, my roommate Jenn, Emalee, Katie, Brittany, Kristianna, and Kristina.

April! Spring break! Trip to Florida. I love this picture of my niece and me. And yes, my hair is a mess, but I was having too much of a good time to care. :)

Here's everyone! John & Kristi, and Grace and Noah. Me on the floor. Mom and dad. And Ebony, the dog.

There's me in Florida.

And I wanted to show one of my favorite "photography" pics. I love how I captured the bird in it as well. :)

In New York City! My favorite summer memory. This is at the cathedral after mass.Bobby, me, Ariana, Dawn, and Dr. & Mrs. Wiley.

It was really nice going to NYC for my last summer class. I really enjoyed it, and I wish I could share ALL the pictures again, right here, right now. This trip was in June.

This is at the end of June, when I got hired at Panera Bread. There have been some changes in the dress code since this picture, such as shoes, the hat, the type of khaki's we can wear, etc., but same apron, same nametag, etc. It's hard to believe that it's been 6 months since I started working at Panera. Maybe sometime, I can pictures of the place.

Stacey is my closest friend from high school. This picture is of us hanging out at Roscoe Village back in July.

Cindy, me and Stacey on the 4th of July. We went to Acres of Fun in Wooster.

And I was happy to see fireworks this year. This picture turned out the best. :)

September! This was my first visit to the Wayne County fair. I loved it! :DHonestly, not much happened between September and November. *ponders* I continued working at Panera, hung out with Stacey from time to time, and then the holidays came, as well as my college graduation and apartment move-in in DECEMBER! I know I recently posted pictures of both events, but here they are again. :D

And that was my 2011. And my 2011 ended with me being a year older. My birthday was on Thursday! :)

Here I am! 24 years old. :)This year for my birthday, my parents took me out to IHOP. We don't have one in the area, or where I just moved, but I was really craving IHOP during the last several weeks, so I chose that for my birthday meal. Hehe. I usually choose Olive Garden for my birthday, but this year I wanted something else. And I didn't even get pancakes! Haha. Here are some pictures. :)

And then, we came back to my apartment and celebrated. :)

It was a good birthday! :)And 2011 was a good year. I am really looking forward to a new year though! I love this time of year. I love how everything feels so new and so fresh, and although last year I fell asleep before the countdown to 2011, I am planning to count down tonight.Happy New Year, everyone!

About my Christmas! :.: snow :.: 2011 is almost over! :.: 6 months

2011-12-27T18:56:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! I am so excited for another blog post. Hopefully this post finds you all well. I apologize for not keeping up with your blogs as much as I should, but I plan to start reading your blogs again. I'm happy to be busy and have things going on in my life again, but sometimes it's hard to keep up with everything! Hehe.Well, I guess I should first start out by saying that it is snowing. I snapped some pictures today... with and without the flash on.

Allow me to be the first to tell you how HAPPY I am to be closer to work. Although this is has been almost a snow-less December, I will be happy not to drive 35 minutes to and from work during the times that snow does get really nasty. I am so thankful to be closer in town to everything. It's nice!Speaking of work, I would like to say that today marks 6 months since I got hired at Panera. And I'm happy to say that a lot has happened since then. :)Well, this will be considered my Christmas entry! I had a really great Christmas. I was happy to have the day with family, and then to have the privilege of going back to my apartment after all the activities and get together. We had a beautiful time. However, before I begin talking about Christmas day, I am going to back up about two weeks and talk about my first Christmas get together. I met up with three of my high school friends: Stacey, Krista and Cindy. The three of them met up with me at Ryan's Steakhouse, and then we came to my apartment, talked, laughed and had a very good time! I got some pictures. :)

From left to right: Cindy, Krista, me (Rebecca), and Stacey.

And that was my last hangout with friends. We really enjoyed the time together. It's funny how ladies first plan to see a movie after supper, and then they find themselves talking, laughing and taking pictures instead. It makes me wonder if guys have that same tendency. :)Okay... NOW, we can fast forward to Christmas day! Christmas was really good this year. Now, a good chunk of my presents were already purchased when I moved into the apartment on December 1st (dishes, glasses, tupperware, a new microwave, toaster, food, etc), but the other part of my Christmas was also really nice! First of all, here was my parents' Christmas tree this year.

I was foolish enough to not charge my camera on Christmas, so I'm relying on my parents for "family get together" pictures (HI, MOM! hehe. Take your time.), but I do have pictures of my presents. Along with these gifts, I got some money and gift cards. :)

Some more kitchen/baking/cooking things.A mixer! And here's me feeling inspired of all the possibilities in my kitchen.

I have NEVER read Twilight or seen the movies. So, I asked for the first book and movie for Christmas. I promise to read the book first. :)

I fell in love with this movie awhile back. It's interesting how my tastes in movies have either stayed the same, developed more, or changed completely over the years!

Hats/gloves are also something I grew into. I love this beanie hat, and these tipless gloves/mittens set!

And my big gift was... a KINDLE. Yes, watch out. I am slowly entering the world of electronic books. But I am not there yet. I still have to finish setting up and registering my Kindle before I start downloading books. Hey! I'm a little slow with electronics. I'm going to need a few days to learn how the Kindle works, how it operates, etc.And that was my Christmas this year! It's hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone again. Well, 363 days until next Christmas. Haha! Nah, I won't really be counting down for a LONG time. But 2012 does begin in 5 days. And my 24th birthday is in 2 days. Good things come in the beginning and end of the year.Well, I am currently at the library. Loving it here! Well, I will be heading back to the apartment soon. It looks like the snow has stopped for a little bit.Have a wonderful Tuesday evening, everyone! Hoping to blog again soon!

Long time, no see! :.: blog makeover :.: photos!! :.: loving life!

2011-12-21T12:53:00.000-05:00

I am writing in my blog. I am writing in my blog.

Oh! I mean... I AM *WRITING* IN MY BLOG! Right here, right now. :D

This is a really good feeling. I apologize for the HUGE gap in entries between November 9th and now, but I have been super busy within these past two months! Life has started to pick up and get exciting for me again. For awhile, I was thinking that my life was "on hold" because there was nothing to blog about. But now, I have so much to blog about, and I've been trying to find the time to squeeze an entry in, and I am SO happy that I have the chance to blog today.

Well, first of all, I've decided to give my blog a makeover, and this includes colors, fonts, backgrounds, and... the blog title! I'm actually still brainstorming titles, but I thought "As one chapter ends, the next one begins" was a decent temporary one.

So... what have I been up to lately?

Well, first of all, I am still working at Panera Bread. It is going pretty well. We've recently been bought by a new owner, so many changes have been in effect. I don't think the changes are good or bad, but some of them have been taking some getting used to. But for the most part, I still enjoy Panera. I'm still a cashier, and each day I am still learning something new. I don't think I'll ever have a day of not learning something new. Hehe. Also, I'm approaching 6 months since I have been hired. And I do sa that these 6 months have passed quickly! :D

In other news, I have recently ended ONE chapter in my life! This chapter lasted from 2007 to 2011. Yes, I have officially "graduated" or walked in the December commencement at MVNU. My college career took place at Evangel and MVNU, and MVNU is where I finished. Or, "the Naz" as it is well known. It's funny, because I finished college back in June, and I received my degree in August. At first I was really upset that I couldn't walk in May, but looking back now, I think December was a better fit for me. Here are some pictures! :D

And that was my college graduation! So, now I have moved onto the next chapter in my life, and that is... moving out of my parents' house and getting an apartment!

I love my parents, but during these past several months after college, I was really frustrated on still being at home and longing for more independence, and I was really hoping/praying that something would open up or work out. And... within a few days of research, phone calls, and apartment visits, I found a studio apartment (perfect size for 1 person!) that is A LOT closer to work! I am so excited! :D

I moved in on December 1st, which was 9 days before the commencement ceremony.

And I've been really happy since I've moved in. I love the apartment. It's a very small apartment, so when you walk in, the entire place is pretty much there. But it's a huge blessing, and it's been giving me a lot of space and time to think about things so far. I've signed a 6-month lease for the time being.

One thing I'll add is that I LOVE being closer to work! Driving to and from Panera for 35 minutes both ways when I lived with my parents really used up the gas in my dad's car! Now, I'm about a 6-8 minute drive from work, and I love it. :)

Well, here are some beginning apartment pictures. There will be LOTS more on Facebook, as well as captions, later this afternoon.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and Merry Christmas! :D

P.S. I do not have Internet for the apartment yet, but I'm finding many Wi-Fi spots so far. Hehe. I just wish there were more hours in the day. :)

Battle of the cats! :.: Courageous :.: making decisions

2011-11-09T10:16:00.004-05:00

You have probably met our cat, Precious, before.

Not in person, but through photos, blogging, Facebook, etc. Here she is!

She was the runt of the litter when her and four other kitties came to us. We're not really sure what happened to the other kitties. :'(

But Precious is alive and with us. We let her spend a lot of time outside (unless it's freezing, of course). Well, Precious does NOT enjoy having other cats on our property. Hehe. It's funny how a small cat can do a wonderful job at protecting her territory. What's even more funny is the fact that Precious does not even do much to keep other cats away. She just stares, and most of the time, the "hate signals" travel to the other cat.

I was in the kitchen on Monday, eating a snack. And all of the sudden, a black cat walks between our yard and the neighbors'. The black cat wanted no trouble. I could see that. But Precious didn't. Precious slowly walks toward the cat. She doesn't get anywhere near him/her, but she gave that "hate signal." A few minutes later, the black cat got the picture and left. Precious stayed in her "spot" until it was, well, safe.

Thank you, Precious, for being an inspiration to us all. :P

Here's a photo of the action. Yes, please excuse the cell phone/reflection of the blinds in the window quality.

See it?

Well, I'll zoom in a little.

And zoom in a little more.

And that is Precious' life in a nutshell. Well, besides being mean whenever she's really hungry and wanting to go outside. And snuggling wherever she pleases. Hehe.

I cannot believe it is Wednesday already! And in a few days, it'll be mid-November. Time is just flying by. Makes me happy. Yet, sometimes it makes me feel anxious to get a lot of things done, and to just be in a hurry with everything. There's still so much to do in life.

I did enjoy my weekend though! I worked on Friday and Saturday, and then Sunday was my day off. 'Twas a very nice day. Well, first of all, I have started to visit churches again. I'm not really sure where to connect next in church, but I do know that I need a church. I've been to church two weeks in a row. Yay! It's nice having Sundays off. :)

After church, I ate at Cheddar's for lunch with my parents, and then I spent the afternoon by myself and went shopping and saw a movie.

Courageous was very good! I enjoyed it all the way through, and I will admit that I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. I'm definitely be purchasing it on DVD when it comes out.

Well, there's not much else to write about right now. I'm in the process of making some decisions that I don't feel comfortable sharing in my blog yet. But I assure you, they're GOOD decisions. I'm just not sure about direction. I'm at the part of life where I'm out of college and anxious to leave home, travel, and just see more of the country (and eventually the world), but then again, it's hard to wait for God's timing on things. It makes me feel stuck, even though I know that's not the correct term. Because I'm not stuck. I'm not sure what term to use for that right now.

I don't think traveling and seeing more lands is an option right now, so I may need to put that on a different list.

Decision-making has never tasted so bitter, and sweet at the same time.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Fifth of November? :.: spell check vs. auto correct :.: Thanksgiving/Christmas

2011-11-05T12:39:00.005-04:00

So... today is the 5th of November, and I have seen status after status on Facebook, reciting the poem "Remember, remember the fifth of November."

And I don't understand.

I've tried looking it up, but all I find are pages in relation to gunpowder. And I've asked about the meaning in my status, but no answers yet. :P

Anyway, Happy November! I'm relieved that Halloween is over. I'm not really big on Halloween. I did, however, enjoy the costumed advertisement on the way to work the other day.

Okay, so he/she is facing the other direction, but that did make my day, as well as stopping by Staples and reading different testing of a special pen that they were selling.

It's nice to know that people still use pens, considering the fact that just about EVERYTIHNG is pointing toward technology anymore, and this includes computers, cell phones, and how people rely on spell check... oops.
Excuse me.
No one says "spell check" anymore. That is so 1990s. People now say "auto correct."
Because... who needs Microsoft Word's spell check when you've got "auto correct" at your fingertips? :P

Oh... hopefully you noticed that I spelled "everything" wrong. I guess "auto correct" doesn't apply to blogs.

Well, I really don't have much else to say. Yesterday was payday! That's always a nice feature. :)

I took a new picture of myself two days ago... with my mouth closed. Yes, I am a mouth breather. Therefore, I have my mouth open most of the time. I actually used to be part of a Facebook group called "Mouth Breathers Unite!!" And I don't think they're a group anymore, but it was fun to check on their updates every now and then.

Well, I think it's safe to say that Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming. :)

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Happy Halloween! :.: two days off work :.: photos :.: autumn is here!

2011-10-31T22:22:00.003-04:00

Hello, everyone!

I've really enjoyed the last couple of days. I've had Sunday and Monday off work this week, and they've both been very nice days! :D

On Sunday, I visited a new church. I hadn't attended church for about 6 months. I'm not really sure what denomination this church was, and I'll decide whether to visit again. The sermon was REALLY good though. I'm happy that I'm starting to visit churches again. Hopefully I'll find one soon.

After church, I rested for a little bit, and then I hung out with my friend Stacey. We had a nice time. We went to Applebee's, went shopping and then got ice cream.

Fun, fun. :)

Then, I did laundry last night and this morning. I ran some errands today. And I've just enjoyed today in general. We definitely have autumn weather. I mean, really autumn weather. Today was cold and rainy. I've been inside most of the day.

Happy Halloween!

I don't really have much else to say, but I do have some random photos from today to share.

Well... it's back to work for me tomorrow. And it's also the first of November.

Have a wonderful evening!

My October "Top Ten" List.

2011-10-29T11:50:00.008-04:00

Hi... for the first time in 25 days. :)

What have I been doing, you ask? In a way, I've kept myself busy, but then again, I guess one could say that not too much is going on for me. *sigh*

Oh well. At least I've been given each day this month. That is never a guarantee.

Here is my October "Top Ten" List.

1. I purchased new glasses, as well as a fresh year-supply of contacts.

These are the first pair of glasses AND the first set of contacts that I paid for by myself. Makes me feel grown. ^_^
Although I wear contacts more, I DEFINITELY needed new glasses. My previous pair were from 2005. In other words, I was well overdue. But I assure you, I did have new contacts yearly. I didn't wear the same set of contacts for six years. Oh dear, that would've been really bad.

2. I've been trying to read more.

Classic literature, poetry books, and inspirational/devotional books. Okay, I will admit, I have been failing with the classic literature.
I did purchase one of my favorite children's poets' book this month. Shel Silverstein. It was more expensive, being the 30th anniversary, but worth it. :)

And this was my FAVORITE poem when I was in 7th grade. I read it all the time in the school library.

Also, I lost my original copy, but in my Freshman Seminar class at Evangel, we read "Lady in Waiting" by Jackie Kendall & Debby Jones. I love this book! I haven't started reading it again yet, but I plan to this next week. It'll be interesting to read as a 23-year-old instead of when I was 19. Yes, I'm still a "lady in waiting." I didn't get my "ring by spring" or my Mr.S degree in college.
Don't laugh. :P

3. I've been journaling again!

I've journaled almost every day, and trying to fill up unfinished journals, as well as starting new ones. It's hard to pass up nice journals in the stores. Here's my current journal:

Also... I found this REALLY cool journal on Barnes & Noble. At first, I wasn't sure of buying it, because it first seemed like a mockery of journals. BUT... I love it! :D

Yup. Like the title suggests, you are supposed to destroy it, have fun with it, and take your frustrations out on it. It's cool.
Of course, I don't want to give too much of it away, but here's a couple of my pages so far (and trust me, there's lots more to do with it!).

4. I've been battling my oily skin.

Yes, I have oily skin. It drives me nuts with how shiny my nose gets, as well as my forehead and occasionally my cheeks and chin. Grrr.
Okay, I do tend eat fatty foods, and I have heard that diet can affect skin. I also have a tendency to forget to wash off my make-up. Been trying to improve on that.
Other than that, I'm really not sure what to do. I've been trying different facial washes.

I have found that "Clean & Clear: Morning Burst, Shine Control" actually makes my problem worse.
:(
And as far as the "Foaming Facial Cleanser" for sensitive skin, I just started using that this morning. So... we'll find out.

I just hope I get to the point where I don't need to keep sneaking away to reapply make-up throughout the day to get rid of the shiny. :P

5. I've been working.

I'm still working at Panera Bread. Been fluctuating between part-time and full-time. I've gotten around 40-45 hours lately, and last week I got up to 50 hours. Wow.
I'm still a cashier, most of the time. Still closing pretty much every time I work. I prefer day shifts, but I only get a day shift every now and then. Oh well. I have a job, and that's what matters.
I'm improving with closing duties. :)

6. I've added myself on the December commencement list.

I think I'm excited?
I haven't built up enough enthusiasm for this event yet. I guess, for some reason, it seems minor because I've already finished the classes and received the degree. And I received the degree in the summer, and I just haven't been excited for the cap/gown happening six months later.
I'm sure that in time, the excitement will kick in. :D
And after all, the cap/gown is black, and I've always liked black. AND... the event is in December. December has always been one of my favorite months. :)

7. I've been daydreaming, thinking and praying about what's next.

I don't want to share too much right now, but I, literally, strongly desire to "get up and go."
Hoping for a door to open... SOON!
And hoping something does open up, so I can tell people about it. In the meantime, I prefer to keep fine details between me and God.

8. I have gone clothes shopping.

We're switching to warmer clothes. Fuzzy PJ's and long-sleeved shirts.

I've also purchased other clothes, too, but I don't feel like modeling right now. Hehe.

9. Appreciating autumn.

Autumn is beautiful in Ohio. ^_^
Everything is gorgeous right now.

10. Finding improvements.

I have a lot to work on and improve right now. More details later.

And that, my friends, is my "Top Ten" for October.

Have a blessed Saturday!

October 5, 2011

2011-10-05T13:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I am not doing a good job with writing in here.

I do, however, desire to capture some good photo shots of the color-changing leaves in the area. Ohio is gorgeous again! Autumn is here. Here's a preview now. :D

Love it! It's the small things in life. ^_^

I hope to get more photos soon.

Well... been working at Panera Bread some more. Mostly closing shifts. I only get day shifts on Sundays, and I'm starting to get some on Saturday which I am happy about. I love day shifts, and I'm hoping for more soon. But in the meantime, I am thankful for the hours that I've been given. And it's been a lot. :D

On Saturday, I pulled my first double at Panera. And it was a long day, but I accomplished it. It didn't go as planned. It was originally supposed to be a 7-2 and a 5-close, BUT we were SUPER BUSY all day long. I mean, we had a few small breathers here and there, but it must've been shopping day in Wooster! Because I didn't get off until 4pm that day, and even then I didn't clock out. I clicked the "break out" button, and I got back on at 4:40pm to work until close. Haha. But it was rewarding, because Panera bought me my supper. Yum! :D

And you know how they say, "Don't cry over spilled milk"? Well, don't cry over spilled chocolate! Haha. At the end of my double, I had to fill the chocolate and caramel syrups, and I spilled chocolate all over the drinks counter. This happened at the end of the night. I was not happy about this. Hehe. Oh well. I can laugh about it now. ^_^

Work has been going well. Haven't attempted another double yet. But I'll wait for them to ask me on that. Well... gotta go! Must get ready for a 3-close tonight.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

5 Question Friday! :.: apologies, class ring, same age, names.

2011-09-30T10:33:00.000-04:00

*gasp*

It is the LAST day of September, and I have not written in here in three weeks.

I don't have much to talk about. I've been working more hours at Panera, which I am very thankful for, but there's really not much to talk about. I'm improving on register, closing duties, and menu knowledge. That's a relief! :)

For 2-3 weeks, I was working 6 days in a row. Good hours! :D
But... it was starting to wear me out. And things worked out differently this week. One of my coworkers couldn't work her Saturday evening, so we switched shifts. She worked my closing shift last night, and tomorrow (Saturday), I will work my morning shift, plus her closing shift. So, a double. This will be my first double at Panera. Hoping it goes well!

Having two days off in a row has felt different, but it's also nice. And I don't know my schedule after Saturday yet. Hoping it's a good one.

Other than that... nothing much. Been tired. Been working on my room. Been sort of "down" with all the cloudy/rainy days we've had. I guess I just needed to take a little break from my blog. But now, I'm back. Hoping for more things to talk about. :)

1. Do you apologize to your kids if you're wrong?
Well, I don't have any kids.
BUT... I am REALLY apologetic. I have a tendency to over-apologize.
It's getting better. I'm learning to apologize once, twice... maybe three times at the most. Hehe. But really, I know that over-apologizing is annoying, and I do believe it's gotten better with me. :)

2. Do you have a class ring, Letterman's jacket, or similar obscenely priced high school "must have"?
I do! I have a class ring. It's the traditional white gold, December birthstone, and it has "Rebecca" and the FCA cross on one side, and "2006" and a falcon on the other. And it says "Hillsdale High" around my birthstone.
I should post a picture of it sometime. :)
Now... I was never in FCA. But for some reason, I couldn't have the cross I wanted. I don't really remember why. The Jostens lady explained, but that was way back in tenth grade. So, it doesn't matter anymore.
I still wear my class ring. I wear it on my right middle finger. This ring and I have been through so much together.
Although I love my class ring, I am hoping to have another ring replace it someday. ;)

3. If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you choose?
Oh wow! I would say 22. I loved being 22 years old (okay, that was last year!). Lots of good things happened. And 22 is old enough to be going out and experiencing different things. :)

4. What is your favorite (unused) baby name?
Aww. I could go on for pages about this! Even though I'm nowhere near having kids, I love thinking of baby names. :)
For girls, I love: Miranda, Destiny, Olivia, Wendy, Lynnette, and Penelope.
For boys, I love: Oliver, Simon, Peter, Ryan, Nathaniel, and Caleb.

5. If you could make your child like something what would it be?
Again, I do not have children, but I would hope to help them "enjoy" eating vegetables, doing chores, doing homework, and getting to bed on time. :)

5 Question Friday! :.: ringtone, summer memory, books, home upgrade, relationships

2011-09-09T10:09:00.005-04:00

Hey, everyone! Man, it sure doesn't feel like Friday. I know that this was a "short" week for a lot of people, but it actually seemed to go a little slower for me. Hmmm. But then, I guess I didn't really have much of a Labor Day weekend. But that's okay.

Well... work got better last night. I was called in, and I still didn't get done at the most "convenient" time, but the night definitely went smoother since the last time I was there, and I was happy to get a few extra hours. Oh, and just so you all know, I still like Panera. I really do. I just really needed to vent about some things in yesterday's post, and I just wanted to say that work has nothing to do with how I'm feeling right now.

Well, it looks like my hours have slowly gone up for this next week. The next day I have off is... Thursday. ;)

And now... 5 Question Friday!

1. What ringtone do you have on your cell phone?
Haha! Ummm.... it's from Super Mario 3, and the ringtone is the music from completion of the level where Mario saves the king's staff, and everything is back into working order in the kingdom.

I love my ringtone. It's so deep and royal, and I love the stares I get from it. :)

2. What is your favorite memory from this summer?
Going to NYC with my summer class! It was a really good ending to my college career, and I had never been to NYC before, so it was a really good experience! And I love to travel and go places, so this class meant a lot to me. And as I've said before, I have tons of photos from the trip, and it's really hard to limit them to just a few. But... I will try. :)

3. Paper books or ebooks?
Hmmm.... paper. Still haven't upgraded to ebooks yet.

4. If you could have one home upgrade what would it be and why?
Well, I think my dream upgrade right now is to find a nice, affordable apartment somewhere. I don't think I need to explain.

5. When was your first serious boyfriend/girlfriend?
Oh boy! I didn't have my first relationship until my freshman year of college. I was attending Evangel at the time. It's quite interesting, actually.
I've been in a couple relationships, and although I really want to say that they were failures, I guess I could say that they were strengtheners. The relationships I've been in have taught me so many things.

gloomy weather :.: the quest for patience :.: need to get things done!

2011-09-08T10:50:00.004-04:00

For the past three days, our weather has looked like this:

Yes. Just like that.

It's been causing fatigue and drowsiness.

Well, I've been home by myself for the past few days. My parents are down in Florida, but I think they'll be back (or at least heading back) in a couple of days. It's been nice having the house to myself, as well as watching our Cocoa and Precious. They've both been going crazy with the weather. But other than that, they're doing okay. Here's how we have reacted to the rain:

Hehe.

I've developed a hobby of getting lost in thought, and these past several days, I have really gotten lost in thought. I've just been sitting there, and I really "go somewhere" with my mind. And then I get sad, because reality kicks in, and I realize that where I just was for the past ten minutes was just in thought.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but I've been disappointed. I know I should be happy, but life after college hasn't really been all it's cracked up to be. I mean, I've passed all of the classes. I have a piece of paper that says, "Hello, world! I am a Bachelor of Arts graduate. Look at me!" And I don't understand how I should be happy, but I've just been disappointed.

Oh... I know. Because it's already September, and by now, I was really hoping for some, well, "big" things to happen in life. And I'm not really sure what I mean by "big." I guess I was just expecting to be somewhere else, besides living with my parents and feeling like a child again. I was hoping to be a big girl, and to move out by now and have an apartment somewhere by now. And I was hoping to get "out there" and become an explorer, a flight attendant, a sociologist, a reporter, or just someone who travels, watches people, writes, and sees many different lands. In other words, I would like to make a difference, or at least leave something behind when my life is over.

Also, I guess maybe I was expecting to be closer to having a significant other in my life. But, like they say on the movie Valentine's Day, "Love cannot be planned."

And I would say that's true. I can't "plan" love. I gotta let go, and just let it happen on its own. But the thing is, I have let go. I haven't stopped what I'm doing to search for Mr. Right for the longest time now. But he hasn't shown up, either.

Anyways...

I will attempt to escape this disappointment. I mean, I have a good life. I just feel it's "on hold" right now. And that is a frustrating feeling, but the only thing I can do is not feel sorry for myself. Because no one likes self-pity people. And I am definitely not a self-pity person, and I don't like it when people throw pity parties in front of me.

Although I love Hamburger Helper (HH), I was just hoping that life after college would contain more than just fixing HH for myself.

Okay, I know the HH looks bad, but it looked A LOT better when the cheese mix thickened. It looks like I took the picture too soon. And it tasted okay. I was happy that this was the first time I made HH by myself. Hehe. My mom made it a lot for my brother & me when dad was at work, and now I'm making HH. Who knew? :)

Well, speaking of work... I had yesterday off, and it looks like I have today off as well. It's going okay, other than the fact that I'm trying to pick up the pace on my closing duties. I feel lousy when I close. I want to be quicker. The other night, we were short staffed, and I was asked to get done as fast as I could so that I could help pitch in with the other things we were short staffed on. I tried to finish sooner, but I still couldn't get done in the time that was expected. There was disappointment (especially on my end). But I won't give up hope. I know this isn't life/death, but I would like to finish within a better time frame. Just saying.

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!

new blog colors! :.: 5 Question Friday! :.: September already??

2011-09-02T12:37:00.007-04:00

Wow! Is it September already? Crazy! It really surprised me how this weekend is Labor Day weekend. It came up super quick this year. Haha!

I don't have any "special" plans for this weekend. I do have today off work, and then I work tomorrow evening, Sunday morning/afternoon, and then Monday evening. But, you know what? That's okay. I'm grateful for the hours I'm given, and I'm employed somewhere. And Labor Day has never really been a huge holiday weekend for me anyway. ;)

Well... I've changed my blog colors again! I'm excited for autumn. Ohio is very pretty in the fall. I look forward to taking pictures and posting them in here.

Today is... 5 Question Friday!

1. Shoes in the house - yay or nay?
Nay!
Feet need to breathe, too.
Only keep shoes on when needed, like going to check the mail on our rocky and quite hurtful driveway, coming home or going somewhere, etc.
I like barefeet. Even in the winter when it's cold, I do prefer barefeet most of the time.

2. What do you call them- flip flops, slippers, thongs, etc?
FLIP FLOPS!

They are most definitely flip flops! And no, my favorite colors are not blue and green, if that's what you're thinking. The colors I prefer are just never in my sizes. :P
Because slippers are made to keep your feet warm, if needed.
And thongs... give you wedgies. :P

3. What song are you almost embarrassed to admit you know all the lyrics to?
Arrgh, I can't think of any right now.
BUT... I guess I could mention that when my brother and I were younger, our parents had these cassette tapes. Not sure what happened to my tape, but I do remember my brother's... or part of it. I don't remember the entire song, but here's part of it:

"Hey, John!
It's your birthday!
I'm in charge of the stars
And I'm here to say,
'cause John,
You're the BIG STAR today!

My name is Zoom
And I live on the moon
But I came down to earth
Just to sing you this tune
Hey, John,
It's your birthday today!"

Haha! At least I remember that much of the song... now that it's been almost 20 years later. And I am pretty sure that my tape did say "Rebecca."
Come to think of it, I don't really know what happened to John's tape either. It's a mystery.

4. What is the best quality to have in a friend?
Loyalty.
To have friends who love you and stand by you, even though you've caused a lot of pain towards yourself and/or others. Those who forgive and love you unconditionally.
And that is the type of friend that I want to be, and the kind I strive for. :)

5. Do you know what you want for Christmas?
Not really, except I am hoping to have the opportunity to move out and be more independent by the time Christmas does approach us, or a new chapter of something.
As far as Christmas presents go, I'm thinking a new laptop may be a good thing. Or maybe a vacation to see somewhere different from what I've known.
Here's a picture from Christmas 2010. :)

A mysterious little skull :.: mushrooms coming! :.: no classes = weird feeling

2011-08-30T11:34:00.002-04:00

So, I am disappointed.

Hold on. Let me back up. First of all, my parents & I have been in the process of fixing up the house. We live in an older house that has required a handful of upgrades. We're doing well. Well, I'm not doing well on my end right now, getting my room all organized and such. I'm still figuring out where to put everything. :P

Well, my dad was working on the the front of the house on Saturday, and he said that he found a skull. I wasn't thinking a human skull, but I was thinking of a large animal. And for some reason, I was expecting a skeleton with it.

It definitely wasn't a big animal. And there was no skeleton.

So, I am disappointed. But it still is pretty cool. :)

I guess the question is... what animal do you think this skull belongs to?

Well, on my way back into the house this morning, I saw a mushroom and caterpillar. Oh, that is a sign that autumn is coming! Hehe.

Yes, the mushrooms look like eggs. And they're fun to approach and POP with your shoe. :D

I haven't done popped a mushroom in a long time though. That's for kids.

And no, I don't eat mushrooms. :P

So... I've been on Facebook today, and reading status updates about the first day of classes at MVNU. It feels weird not being in classes anymore. Just saying. But then, it does feel nice. Then again, it feels like there's a huge void to be filled. Hmmmm.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Missing CP :.: good memories :.: working this weekend

2011-08-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

*gasp*

I am posting an entry on Saturday morning. It's not Friday or Sunday. Wow. This is step 1 to improving my blog. And... step 2 would be having something to write about, which I do. This makes me a happy girl.

So, what will I talk about today? Well... last summer, I worked up at Cedar Point in Sandusky. It was a nice summer job. I stayed up in the dorms in Hotel Breakers, and I really enjoyed being there for 2.5 months. I really wanted to go back this summer, but I prayed and thought about it for awhile, and I didn't feel that I should've gone back this year. It's hard to do what you think is right, especially when you're focused on what you want. So, I didn't return to CP this summer.

I'm very thankful that Panera opened up for me at the end of June (in fact, TODAY marks 2 months since I've started working there!), and I'm liking the job. The only discouraging things about Panera are making major mess-ups on what seems to be a daily basis (trying to improve in my work!), and the longer drive. But other than that, I am liking the job. :)

Lately, CP has been on my mind. I've missed it this summer. It wasn't the perfect job. No. It had its negative sides. But then again, it was also a really good job. Not only did I make about 4000$ in 2.5 months, but I also learned a lot, and I grew so attached to living in that 20$ a week dorm. Which is weird, because the dorm was pretty dirty, buggy, humid (when the AC acted up), and at times it had a certain stench. BUT... I loved being there. I had two roommates that I got along with, and I enjoyed having my dorm at the hotel.

I also loved getting into the park for free (seriously, that was the only discount I got!), hanging out at the employee recreation center, eating ice cream and chicken tenders, riding the employee bus into town, and taking walks by myself after I got off work (I worked a lot of evening shifts at Perkins).

I enjoyed Perkins, as well as Beaches n' Cream.

It all went by so fast. Before I knew it, I was home again and getting ready to go back to college.

Well, I know that CP is a seasonal place, and I'm not sure what year-round positions are available, so that's why I didn't reapply this year. And like I said, I'm enjoying Panera. And it's okay to miss something you liked in a pasttime. :)

I didn't have my digital camera until I came back home in August last year. My old camera quit working, and I didn't have enough money to buy a new one before CP. And I did take some pictures on my old flip phone, but those didn't transfer over to my Android. So, I lost them. :(

BUT... I did snatch a couple pictures off Facebook, and I found some memories in my room the other day. ;)

Perkins!
I don't have any pictures of Beaches, but I do remember it quite well. It was always AC'ed, and it was red, black and white with all the ice cream flavors before you.

Me and Snoopy! :D
I loved hanging out in the front desk area (even though it was hot and never AC'ed!) and talking to Snoopy (yes, I knew a real person was inside!), and I would just love to sit there in normal clothes and people watch. I felt very comfortable being in the hotel.
Do you see the TOMO sign in the background? Well... directly upstairs from it is the door to my dorm hallway (aka, the very old hotel rooms back in the early 1900s). ;)

I don't have any pictures of the dorm. :(

My old hairdryer quit working halfway through my summer at CP, so I bought this 18$ one. This is in my bedroom, and that blanket was what I slept with at CP. Still use it today. :)

It took me awhile to get with the program on flip flops. Only certain types of flip flops are comfortable, in my opinion.
Well, these were the only pair I owned last summer. Haha! And they've been through a lot. I have more pairs now.

This is my favorite souvenier from CP! I waited until August to buy it.

Another one of my favorites! I still remember when my roommate & I rode the Top Thrill Dragster that June. Haha! We didn't make it all the way over the first time, so we went backwards, and the second time we made it all the way... but a seagal flew into the Dragster and its blood splattered, ummm, everywhere. :P

Mug! Or... pencil/pen holder.

Since Perkins is in a hotel, a good amount of customers charged their bill to their room.

I still have 2-3 memo pads from Perkins. This order is... Table #12. Party of 3.
Sierra Mist with a bowl of Chicken Noodle.
Raspberry Iced Tea with the Perkins Sampler appetizer as their meal.
Lemonade with Chicken Crisps dinner, and their choice of sides were fries and green beans.

I still have a couple receipts. Of course, these are CP prices... a little different than other Perkins. Haha.
My tips at Perkins were pretty decent. I worked a lot of supper shifts, so I didn't make as much as the breakfast servers, but my range was usually between 70$-150$ a night, depending on how busy it was, my strength of service, how generous the customers, etc. I made aout 350$ a week in tips.
I remember that Thursday were usually my "big tips" nights! That's usually when people checked into the hotel, and they all came to Perkins! hehe.

And last but not least...

here
The Perkins staff would go to Buffalo Wild Wings (Bdubs!) on payday, and I went with them twice. I'm really glad that this picture is on Facebook.

And that was my summer last year. It was really good, and even though I didn't make it back this year, I still had a pretty decent summer this year. Which is good. I mean, I finished college and hung out with friends, and I have found another job. I would say that things are going well right now. :)

Speaking of work, I work tonight 4-close, and then I work tomorrow 8-4. I also work on Monday and Tuesday.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

5 Question Friday! :.: fun purchases, concert, chores...

2011-08-26T08:42:00.000-04:00

Okay... new goal! I want to find more things to blog about, or at least post in here more. Because writing on Fridays and Sundays leaves me wanting to fill a HUGE void. I just feel like I haven't had much to talk about lately, but honestly, I can try harder at this. Because I feel that I can find SOMETHING to talk about. I mean, I am a talker! That's always good. I just need to prove that in here. ;)

Well, today is Friday! It doesn't feel like it though. My days feel a little awkward since I've been out of school. Well, at least I have a job as something to get me started.

And now... 5 Question Friday! :D

1. Did you make any fun purchases this week?
Actually... besides food, no!
I was a good girl this week. I love to shop, and lately I've chosen a day during the week to go to stores and buy things and then go in for my evening shift. But I did not do that this week.
However, I was called into work on Monday evening, and Panera bought my supper! I thought that was nice. I had never worked at a place that did that for you. And I was happy that they called me in. I've worked a lot this week, and I look forward to receiving that paycheck. :D
And during my day shifts this week, I used my employee discounts to buy me some mac & cheese from Panera. Mmmm.

2. If you could go to any musical concert, what would it be?
This is a tough one. I love music, but I don't have a favorite recording artist or band. I like a lot of people and songs. Hehe.
I enjoy festivals with different bands. So... I would like to attend another festival with lots of bands, merchandising booths, lots of food and activities, etc. :)

3. What is your least fav/ most fav house chore?
Right now... my least favorite chore is... cleaning my bedroom, because (as I've mentioned several times) I have a lot of things and a small room, and I don't know where to put everything. And my room is a huge mess. Haha! And I have not fully unpacked from college yet.
Which is weird... because I usually kept my side of mine & my roommates' dorm rooms under control, but at home I've always let everything go and just get unorganized. It's funny because usually college students say the opposite about their habits. :)
My favorite chores?
I would say... changing my bed sheets and doing laundry. I love clean sheets, and I'm really germaphobic and paranoid of bad smells when it comes to clothes. I think that's why I enjoy laundry. I love detergent and fabric softener. And call me crazy, but I actually MISS going to the laundromat. But then, I am thankful that my parents have a washer/dryer. And I know I will most likely use a laundromat again someday, so I'm not too crushed. ;)

4. Would you prefer new appliances or clothes?
Hmmm... clothes for the time being!
But now that I'm getting older and thinking about apartments, I do get excited when I see certain appliances and utensils in the stores that could go in apartments. :)

5. Miracle Whip or Mayo?
Ummm... Miracle Whip.
I just have to be moderate in what I consume of it. Can't really have that much. :P

Unoffficial graduation :.: degree frame :.: family

2011-08-21T20:19:00.001-04:00

Hello, everyone! I trust that you're all having a good weekend. Mine is going well. I had Friday off work, and my parents & I went down to Columbus to be celebrate my unofficial graduation with my grandparents and aunt Ruth. It was a good time! As I've mentioned in my blog already, I finished my last class in June, received my degree in the mail about three weeks ago, and yesterday was a family celebration. :)

We went out to eat to a restaurant called Brio in Columbus. It's a pasta/bread place. I had a spicy shrimp pasta plate with a caesar salad (wish I would've taken a picture!). Brio is attached to the mall there. I envy the malls in bigger cities. They're so nice and alive! The closest mall we have around here has been, well, decaying for the past decade. I get excited to visit other malls. And I'm happy that I did NOT buy anything... even though I saw a couple purses that looked like they would add to my little purse collection. Haha.

All in all, it was a great day. And we had a celebration at my grandparents' place with cake. I got two cards, some money, and a frame for my degree! :D

Here are some pictures from yesterday! Please excuse my weight gain. I got pretty chunky this past year. However, I have lost an extra pound since the last time I mentioned something about it. So, I've lost 5 lbs now. Yay!

Balloons that my aunt Ruth bought me.

I don't look as chunky in this picture. Maybe I should hide behind a cake all the time. ;)
Haha! My dad felt a little bad about not having MVNU colors (blue and green) for the cake, but that's okay. The cake is still delicious!

And here it is! My parents went to MVNU the other day, and they bought this from the campus bookstore. I believe they said that this was the only one in stock! Awesome.
And it has the chapel on it. :)

Mom and me.

Me and dad.

Grandpa and me.

Grandma and me... haha! We had an "inside" family joke while we were trying to take this picture. And it took little while to take it.

Here's me laughing on their sofa to prove it! :D

Still laughing!
Aunt Ruth and me.

And here's all of us! :)

And I just happened to have my purse I bought in NY, so I wanted to pose with it and my degree. Yup, NY was my last college memory. :')

The rest of my weekend involved working a closing shift at Panera on Saturday night, followed by a day shift on Sunday (today). Both shifts were pretty good. :)

Have a wonderful Sunday evening, everyone!

5 Question Friday :.: bathroom door, one word, shopping, death

2011-08-19T08:52:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone! It is... Friday! :)

1. Do you close the bathroom door when you are home alone?
I... leave it open a couple of inches. That way, it's not completely open or closed. :P

2. You have to walk around with a word on your forehead. That word describes you. One word. What is it?

3. What store do you refuse to shop at and why?
The "adult" buildings with very, very inappropriate movies and such. Those are the stores with "no windows," because they have to be secret about everything.
Why don't I shop there??
Well, as much as it would seem ideal for me to see men looking at magazines of women with perfect bodies and in the most desperate need for money, I think I'll pass.

4. If you participated in arranged marriages for your child(ren), who would you choose for your child(ren)?
If I had children, and if I participated in arranged marriages, I would look for... the same things I look for in a future husband. :)
* A strong relationship with God
* Responsible
* Loving & caring
* Trustworthy
* Honesty
* Loyal
* Honorable. (my prayer is that I will be ALL of these for him as well!)
* Someone who abstains from drinking, smoking & gambling.
* Someone who won't compare me to other ladies and won't talk about THEIR beauty and how I should be beautiful (yes, I've dated idiots that have said those things!).
* And... someone who I can call a best friend. :)

5. If you could pick how and when you would die, would you?
Well... considering I'm more concerned with going out and living my dreams right now, I haven't really taken time to ponder death.
I have thought about it in the past. I would choose to either be knocked out and dead instantly, die in my sleep... or, if I do have a painful or suffering death, I hope to have loved ones nearby. And if there's no one nearby, then I will just believe that the painful experience is temporary, and it's not going to last long.
But... at the same time... I've learned that I'm really NOT guaranteed tomorrow. So, I need to prepare myself for death every day.

update on Panera :.: missing college :.: thinking about the future

2011-08-17T08:37:00.004-04:00

I know that I have been terrible with making blog posts, but the thing is, there's really not too much going on right now, and I don't want to bore my readers by being repetitive.

However, I do have a few things to update you all on. ;)

Working at Panera is still going well. My hours got cut a little bit, but I'm not too worried, because I think we have a handful of people leaving soon, and I'm really hoping I get some of those hours, Hehe. But... I'm still liking the job. I just wish I wasn't farther away with gas money and such (Hint, hint: I've been thinking about apartments (a lot!) lately. Going to look more on that SOON. I want to move out.). But yes, I'm very happy about the job; even though it's only part-time, it's something. I am learning SO MUCH every time I'm at Panera. There's so much to learn, whether it's about the menu items, or cleanliness, or customer service. Even though I've been in food service before, I'm still learning because it's different than being a hostess or waitress. Of course, even if I was a waitress again, I'm sure I'd still be learning, because you never stop learning. :)

Last night was CRAZY at work! We were so busy, and it literally hit us like clock work. I got there at 3:00pm. We were slow until about 5:30, and then we had a small supper rush. Not a big deal. We were slow and calm after that, and then around 6:45, we were busy pretty much straight through until closing! It was crazy! We ran out of rye bread, foccaccia & asiago foccaccia breads, ciabatta bread, French bread, country bread, baguettes, whole grain baguettes, bread bowls, and apples. And then of course, we had our "normal" run-outs of bagels, pastries, etc. BUT... we all made it through! With two cashiers, a production guy, a dishwasher/dining room girl, and a manager, somehow we all made it through. We were all a little "out of it" at closing.

I was pretty overwhelmed last night, but I was told that I handled it well. Yaaay!

I had heard that it was pretty busy at lunch yesterday as well. I guess that explains the sudden disappearance of about half of the breads. ;)

Well... I wasn't scheduled to work tonight, BUT our evening dishwasher/dining room girl asked me to cover for her. At first it wasn't approved because there was a misunderstanding. But then it was approved. I'm happy! So, working 4-close tonight, and then I have a quick turnaround with a day shift on Thursday. And Thursday I was scheduled for. :)

AnYwaYs... I'm still working on getting settled into my bedroom. I've taken a really long break on this, but it's gradually getting better each time I work with it. The problem is: I have a small room and a small closet, and I have too much stuff. I think I may donate the things that I know I won't use anymore. My room is frustrating to work with. Haha.

Not too much else is going on at the moment. I'm kind of wishing that I was going back to school this fall. On one hand, I am happy that I'm done, but on the other hand, I already miss college. Call me crazy, but I enjoy being a student. It's crazy, busy and stressful, but it's familiar territory for me. That's what I've known for a good chunk of my life, and now that it's over (for now), I've been trying to fill in the next blank. Well, it looks the next blank is working at Panera. :)

In the meantime, I'll just continue working, and to keep my options open on what happens in the future... and eventually, graduate school (but that looks like it'll not be for a couple of years).

Have a wonderful Wednesday! <3

contemplating ideas :.: summer = almost over! :.: Bug Juice :D

2011-08-07T23:31:00.001-04:00

Oh, dear.

As I spend Sunday night finishing up laundry, I wonder what I could have done to make summer... well, feel more rewarding. I wouldn't say that it's been a bad summer, but for some reason, it feels like I haven't done much of anything lately. :(

I don't understand.

I've done a handful of things this summer!

But for some reason, it feels like summer just came and left, like an on-off switch, and I'm wondering if I've done enough. I mean, I've set some goals. I was going to:
1. get settled into my bedroom and straighten things up
2. rededicate myself to exercising
3. engage in some new hands-on projects
4. get involved (I was thinking of a variety of things when I made this goal).

Now, I can't go too hard on myself. I mean, seriously... the whole month of June was dedicated to finishing college and finding a job. I did both of those! My degree has been mailed to me (still waiting for the cap/gown!), and I've started working part-time at Panera. Good start. And I'm happy that I got hired somewhere, even if it is in another county. The longer drive isn't too bad. And I'm learning, literally, something new (or many new things) at Panera every time that I'm there.

I'm failing on the whole "geting settled back into my bedroom" part, but it's already August, and I am realizing that things will not put themselves away. Hey, at least I've gotten the suitcases out of my room. ;)

I haven't "rededicated" myself to exercising, but I am improving in that area. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've lost 4 lbs. of what I've gained this past year. :D

Well, I cannot do everything.

But I can be happy with what I have accomplished this summer. And I am happy.

Oh, and as far as "hands-on" projects go, I can look into new crafts and such this fall. I mean, I won't be in college, and I am hoping for my hours at Panera to increase. But during that time, I can look into new projects. Something to blog about. :)

Well... right now, I have my last load of laundry in the dryer (and I think it's almost done!), and I am watching BUG JUICE, season 3 on YouTube right now. Oh, I miss this show! I miss the old Disney channel. It had good stuff like Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, Bug Juice, and the older Disney channel movies. *sigh* And then, it all changed.

But that's okay. If anything, I've moved on to Lifetime. :)

Five Question Friday :.: siblings, weight, fair food, school, pool/ocean

2011-08-05T10:17:00.005-04:00

Hello. Today is... 5QF! :)

1. Do you have siblings and are you close with them?
1 brother who is married, and no, we are not close.
I'm not close to my sister-in-law either. Well, my brother is 6 years older than me, and I think my sister-in-law is my brother's age. I don't know. I've lost track.
I've tried to connect with my sister-in-law, but it didn't work. She's close-minded, cliquish and blunt. My brother and I don't have a connection either.
But I'm happy that my brother found someone to spend the rest of his life with. I would say that's pretty important. :)
Here's a picture of them with their kids when they came up here for Christmas 2009:

Even though I don't have close familial siblings, I do have friends who have been like sisters. I've had close and distant friends throughout my life.
When I was at Evangel, I met Chelsea, who is very much like a sister! I had the opportunity to visit her in Colorado last summer before I worked at Cedar Point.
And when I'm home, I hang out with Stacey a lot. She's also like a sister! :D

2. Would you rather be slightly UNDER weight or slightly OVER weight?
I would rather be: slighty UNDER weight.
It's not fun being overweight. I mean, I'm happy that I'm not obese anymore, like I was in high school. But it's discouraging trying to lose weight and failing, especially when eating a lot is a huge downfall for me. As I've said in other posts, I sure have thrown on the pounds this past year.
I will admit though... I've lost 4 pounds since I ended college in June! Woohoo, that's a start! :D

3. What's your favorite State Fair food to splurge on?
Ummm... I've never been to the Ohio State Fair.
I know... bad!
But as far as county fairs and theme park foods go, ICE CREAM is lovely. I also love popcorn, French fries and cotton candy (especially when it's pink!)! :D

4. What are your thoughts on your kid(s) going to school in a few weeks?
I have no children, and I just finished college (currently waiting to "walk" in December commencement!). Here's my degree:

I WILL miss college, including the professors, the classes I liked (which was a good amount of them!), dorm life, and I will even miss the "good food" in the cafeteria. I do wish I were going back to take electives until December, but it looks like that is not an option.
I think that school is good, and if I did have kids, I would be happy they were going back. I don't think I could homeschool my kids. But kudos to the mothers out there who can do homeschooling, and who feel that they should! :)

5. Pool or Ocean?
This is a tough one. I like pools to swim in, but the ocean to walk along the beach, get your feet all sandy and collect sea shells. I also love the sounds of the ocean waves.
I do not like swimming in the ocean though.

BA = English degree :.: already August?!? :.: new blog colors :.: work

2011-08-04T13:16:00.005-04:00

Hello, everyone! I trust that July ended beautifully for each of you. Mine ended pretty well. I spent most of the weekend hanging out with friends and working. Saturday was my high school five-year reunion, BUT I decided within a few days before it really wasn't that important. So, I did not attend. And that's okay, because I didn't really like high school that much, and the people I was hoping to be there didn't attend either, or I see some of those people from time to time. :)

On Friday, I did hang out with some friends. I hung out with Stacey, Brittany, Cindy, and Kayla joined us for a little bit. We went out to eat at Cheddar's in Mansfield, and then we went shopping, and then came back to Ashland to go bowling.

I do not have any pictures from Friday, but Stacey and I hung out before I had to go to work on Saturday. We met up in Wooster since I work over there, and that way I didn't have to worry about driving over there later. We had a good time! We went to a visitor attraction called The Cat's Meow Village, as well as Quailcrest Gardens. It was a good time! I'm will upload pictures on Facebook, but in the meantime, here are some pictures from Saturday:

I thought that the Cat's Meow village had a lot of neat things to look at. Oh, and they don't have "real cats" there, but their merchandise has a black cat named Casper on it. Hence, it's called "The Cat's Meow."

I loved these guys! They were fun to stand by. :)

Here's me trying to be all "serious."

Me and Stacey.

Dollhouse furniture. :D

And here's Casper the Cat.

I admire these. I prefer lanterns to street lights.

And here's Stacey when we were at Quailcrest Gardens.

And that was my weekend. Besides hanging out with friends, I worked on Saturday night and Sunday morning/afternoon. I also worked on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and I work tonight. I've been cashier and either closing dining room or bakery. It's going okay, for the most part. I get frustrated when I fall behind on my closing duties. I feel like I'm too slow, but thankfully no one has mentioned yet... unless they have mentioned it to a manager, and not to me. Well, I'm trying to improve on my speed, yet still do a thorough job on everything. But other than frustration, I think that Panera is going pretty decent. There's really not much else to report about work right now. :)

Well... I cannot believe it is AUGUST already! I have changed my blog colors and design again. I've decided to only change my blog template every couple of months, as opposed to changing it monthly. Hehe.

Oh! Before I end this post, I guess I should say that when I came home from work on Tuesday night, I had a thick envelope from MVNU! I FINALLY got my English degree mailed to me. And although I'm still waiting for the frame for my degree, the cap/gown in December, and although I am waiting to find out what to do with my English degree, I will happily display the official document:

I hope that you all have a terrific Thursday!

Five Question Friday! :.: renewal vows, annoying sounds, children, medicine

2011-07-29T12:06:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! It's Five Question Friday. I have no pictures for this one, but that's because I really don't have any for these questions. :)

1. Vow renewal ceremonies-yay or nay?
I honestly think that this depends on the couple. Every couple is different.
I've always liked the idea of a renewal ceremony if it is something you really want, especially if your children are involved. :)
But coming from someone who is not even close to marriage right now, I would say that it would depend on the couple. I really do hope to get married! And I, personally, would want to have a renewal ceremony. But first I need to find the one to renew my vows with. ;)

2. What sound/s annoy you the most?
The constant sound of someone chewing with their mouth open. Yucky and repulsive. CHEW WITH YOUR MOUTH CLOSED! I'm a mouth breather, but I still have enough sense to chew with my mouth closed. It's not that much of a sacrafice to breathe through my nose when I'm chewing. ;)
That, and I don't like the constant thumping of loud music in cars. Grrrr.
Honestly... I can't think of much else. I mean, I guess buzzing noises do get to me, but not as much as people (adults, especially) smacking their lips.

3. If you had to pick, would you have only all boys, or only all girls for kids?
Ick. I don't like these types of questions. :(
I think that both boys AND girls would be difficult to raise.
I guess, when I was younger, I pictured myself wanting to have all girls, but I think that's a common thought of young girls. Girl names are easier to think of when you're a girl. And when you think of your hobbies and interests, you think, "Oh, if I have a daughter, she would like the same things." That type of thing.

4. Do you believe in alternative medicine?
I do agree with natural medicine if that's the best format. Too much chemicals and antibiotics are bad for you, and I've learned to be careful when a doctor wants to give you them TOO OFTEN. Therefore, alternative medicine can be good. :)

5. Would you take a family member's children and raise them if they needed it?
Of course I would! :)
If something life/death happened and if they needed a home, I'm sure that God would provide some way for me to come up with the finances, the living space, etc. And even though I know nothing about raising children, I'm sure I could get help from other family or friends, and I would do my best to give them a wonderful home.
Of course, if that does happen, I'm hoping to be married, so the child can have both a mother and a father. :)

Farmer's Market :.: work :.: summer heat

2011-07-25T11:15:00.005-04:00

Hello, everyone! I hope that you all had a good weekend. Mine was pretty decent. The summer heat and humidity has been pretty harsh for us lately. This past week, it was in the high nineties with a heat index of around 105. Whew!

And to think that people say that they will never move to Ohio because it's too cold of a state. O_o

Well, just so you all know, we don't have snow, ice and wind chill below zero ALL the time. We do have summer weather, just like almost everyone else. ;)

Anyways, working at Panera is still going well. Saturday was a rough evening, but I won't allow that to push me down. I worked a 4-close, and I was dining room/dishwasher. I was overwhelmed. Lots of dishes and tables to clean, and I kept falling behind. People had to keep helping me. And I was confused on what to do as far as closing duties go. I was embarrassed, but at least everyone was patient with me. We've had many thunderstorms, and we got out late on Saturday night, and driving home in a heavy storm was the last thing I wanted, but I made it home.

Sunday was a better day. I was scheduled an 11-6, but I had a break, and then I was asked to stay an extra hour, which was nice. I was cashier. I'm getting less overwhelmed with cash registers here. And I'm counting my drawer pretty well at the end of the shift. So far, I've been about a dollar over, or just a few cents under. Well, that's good to know. :)

Besides working, I went to a Farmer's Market (FM) on Saturday. Apparently, these will be going on at one of the local churches in Ashland on Saturdays until October. Now, I had only been to an FM once, and that was in Mt. Vernon when I transfered to MVNU. Other than that, they've always seemed spectacular. I admired the one I attended on Saturday. It was really nice. Oh, and just so you know, I did NOT know about this. I was actually going to the post office, and I saw the FM on the way, and I decided to stop by on the way home.

I enjoyed seeing both Amish and I'm guessing people from the church selling their goods.

It was nice to forget about the humidity when looking at the different booths.

I bought these flowers. I thought it was a smart idea to transform a yogurt container into a vase. And the flowers were only $2.50.

I wanted a basket so bad, but they were sure expensive! I want to make a basket. I made on in sixth grade in art class, but it didn't turn out well. I'm sure I'd improve by now. ;)

Horses! :D
I guess most of them were too good for the camera. Hehe.

I also bought this plate of sugar cookies.

And... these pretzel sticks. Mmmm.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Five Question Friday :.: summer, fair season, sheets, TSA

2011-07-22T20:44:00.007-04:00

Hooray! It is my second "5QF" post! As I said last week, I think this is a really good idea. It really does enhance the blog. Well, I shall answer the questions.

1. If your husband had the BIG V and you got pregnant what would your first reaction be? For the dudes, what would your first reaction be if your wife told you she was pregnant after the Big V?
Oh my! I'm not anywhere near married at this time, so I do not have a husband. But you have me blushing with this question!
Well, first... I would probably do a nervous laugh if I became pregnant after the BIG V. And then, I would most likely jump into a panic cycle. My mind would become filled with questions... how did this happen? why am I pregnant? Was the procedure done incorrectly or correctly?

2. Best memory about this summer so far.
NYC with my summer class! I love traveling, and this was the first/last time I got to travel with a class. I got to travel by train for the first time, and I experienced a lot in NYC. For me, the city felt so unreal and so foreign because it was beyond what I've known growing up. Heh. It makes me wonder what going to a foreign country would be like.
I have many, many pictures from NYC, but here are some of my favorites:

3. How often do you change your sheets? Your kids sheets?
I'm pretty good with my sheets. I try to change them once a week, and during the summer I try to wash my mattress cover and blankets more with the sweating and all. I guess that during college, I got sidetracked a lot with homework, reading, studying, etc., and sometimes my sheets would be changed every 2 weeks, but for the most part it is weekly.
And if I had children, I'm sure I would change theirs weekly... or more, depending how potty trained they were. hehe. :)

4. Having just gone through TSA, would you rather have a full-body scan or a pat-down?
From what I've seen on TV, the body scans look creepy. I think it's creepy how they can see a naked outline of you, and of course, the TSA says your photo is deleted after you leave, but where does it go? It's like deleting an email... the email is still somewhere in cyberspace. Kinda creepy.
To answer your question though, I think that if the TSA would be okay with it, I'd rather have the pat-down. As long as the pat-down is done in a business-like and investigative manner, I think it's okay.
BUT... of course, if the TSA would not let me do the pat-down, then I'd submit to the full-body scan. Because I love to fly, and I don't want to fight with the TSA and be denied boarding, you know? I would just have to believe that my naked outline would not be abused.

5. Since it is fair time...what's your favorite fair (county or state) memory?
Ha ha ha! Now, that is FUNNY! :D
Fair time? It's not that time around here yet.
The Richland County fair is not until mid-August, the Wayne County fair is not until mid-September, and the Ashland County Fair (woohoo, that's us!) is not until the end of September.
But I do hear of these "fairs" taking place in the summer.
I actually haven't been to the county fair for years. I'm either busy with back-to-school time or finishing up summer activities, or I'm back at college and too busy to come home for the fair.
But I am hoping to go to the county fairs this year. It'll be nice.
Favorite memory? Oh! Back in the first grade, when we first moved to Ohio, my parents, brother and I went to the Ashland Co. fair. And my brother talked me into going on the Yo-Yo. My parents were nervous about me going, and I was a little nervous... but it was funny, BECAUSE... my brother was the one who was frightened ON the ride AFTER he talked me into going on the Yo-Yo, and I was having the time of my life, and I was only 6 yrs. old! Oh, how I know my brother denies that happening, but I will always remember.
I love all the fair activities... such as seeing the animals, riding the rides, eating fries, popcorn and cotton candy, and playing games. I did those things when I worked at Cedar Point last year. ;)

dining room pin :) :.: work = decent

2011-07-20T14:01:00.000-04:00

Wow, it is already Wednesday! And we are at the end of July already. Next week at this time, it will be one month since I started working for Panera Bread. Speaking of which, the job is still pretty decent. I've been learning many things about Panera, whether it's the food, the dishes, the customer service, the cleanliness, etc. It's amazing how much you learn at each new stage of your life.

I finally got my first paycheck earlier this week! I'm happy about that. It looks like I had to wait more than two weeks to get my paycheck, but that's okay. I think it'll be worth the wait. And I remember at Pizza Hut, my first job, I had to wait about a month before I got my first check. Every place is different.

Well, a little update on work: I am now training for cashier/bakery section. I haven't been brave enough to take things in/out of the oven yet because the machine is really big, but I'm hoping to be brave soon enough, because I know that eventually, I will need to be brave and just open and take those bagels out! Mmmm.

Yesterday, I worked 7.5 hours (YaY, it look like I'm slowly getting more hrs!), and I had my POF on dining room/dishes. For those of you who don't know, that is just an evaluation for employees. It's kind of like a graduation in the steps of Baguette University. hehe. You have your eLearning, your computer exam, and then you get a taste of the real thing. Then, you complete the section.

It's funny, because I thought I was doing a horrible job yesterday! We got busy for lunch, and I was falling behind in dishes, dining room, etc. It was a mess! A couple of the managers had to help me. I felt lame for not keeping up with my duties, especially on my POF day. But, it all worked out. I met with an asst. manager in the office yesterday, and I PASSED!! Yeah!

I have officially been given a "Dining Room" pin to go with my Planet Bread pin (the dining room pin is the square!}:

And here's a closer look at the pin. It's a table, chair, hot beverage mug, and bread.

I'm excited. I got some compliments from the managers who worked yesterday. So, I do think I'm doing something right :)

I'm excited! I hope to get more pins here in the near future. Of course, that means undergoing more POF's, but I think I'm up for it.

Oh... and before I end my entry, I would just like to say that no matter what kind of day you've had, or how long of a day it's been, it's ESSENTIAL to think and to cover your hands when preparing someone's bread order. Oh, dear. It was Sunday evening. I had a long day, and I wasn't thinking. A man ordered a Whole Grain White loaf of bread. It was the last one of the evening. Well, I wasn't thinking, and I got his order ready WITHOUT gloves on, and the man saw me. He got really angry. I was embarrassed. But, I can't do anything about it now, except to just wear gloves or protect my hands somehow in the future. And I'm afraid he's going to come back and remember me, but I can't worry about that.

What happened to bread loaf, you asked? He didn't want it. So, it was wasted. And I do admit that I did mistakenly touch it with my hands. Well, never again!

I go into work this evening and work a 4-close. It should go well. I'm not really sure what I will be doing yet though.

Have a wonderful Wednesday evening!

Five Question Friday :.: really good idea! :)

2011-07-15T09:41:00.003-04:00

I'm in... I am now participating in Five Question Friday! I've seen it in my friends' blogs for quite some time now, and I think that it's a wonderful idea. Things like this really do add to blogs. I'm excited that this is my first 5QF, and I'm looking forward to more! One week at a time though! :)

1. If you knew your best friend's spouse was cheating on her or him, would you tell her (him)?
*gasp* How did you know that I watch a lot of Lifetime movies? ;)
As hard as it would be to do, yes, I would tell her. I'd rather her find out from someone who cares about her instead of someone who doesn't. I would just hope that if we're best friends and if I did the right thing by telling her, she would believe me.
Also, if I had a husband who cheated on me, I would want my best friend to tell me if she knew. I would feel really hurt if I found out myself, especially if my friend knew about it the whole time.

2. Soda in a can or a bottle?
First of all, thank you for saying "soda." :)
In Ohio, it gets tiring hearing people say "pop" all the time. It's refreshing to hear the word "soda." It really is.
My answer to this is: BOTTLE! I love soda out of a bottle, whether it's glass or plastic. My favorite is Coca-Cola, or most Coke products. This picture of a Coke bottle was taken in my college dorm in January. Yum.

3. What do you wash first, hair or body?
Hehe... body first, then hair. I guess it doesn't matter which you wash first. As long as you get clean.
I use Dove bar soap for sensitive skin, and it's unscented. I use body spray most of the time after I shower, so I don't need the scented soap. Besides, scented soaps make me break out. I won't know what to do if unscented soaps are pulled off the shelves. :P
I rotate on shampoos/conditioners. Right now, I use Pantene Pro-V Flat to Volume 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner. Man, these hygiene products have long titles! LOL.
And I use the little poof things! I don't know the official title of them. The blue one is soft, and the pink is scratchy. I usually like the scratchy one better, but the soft one is a good trade every now and then.

4. What advice would you give to any new mama?
Well, I'm not a mama yet, but I see newborn pictures popping up on Facebook everywhere, so I usually say things like, "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. He/she looks adorable. Get some rest. Look forward to more pictures." Those types of things. :)

5. What is your best hangover remedy?
I don't drink alcohol. I'm 23 years old, but I don't have that desire. I can have fun without drinking.
Go ahead and laugh if you want. I really don't care. :)

Planet Bread :.: exercising = good! :.: knee pains :(

2011-07-14T23:20:00.003-04:00

I left off in here with what happened on Tuesday afternoon. I got off work around 2 o'clock, and then I ate a late lunch at Panera (yay for employee discounts!). Around 2:30, I met up with Courtney and Heidi, two other new employees at Panera, and we had to head over to the Mansfield Country Inn & Suites (across the street from that Panera!) for a program called Planet Bread. It's a 3-hour training that all new employees are required to do. Hedi drove, which I thought was very nice, considering the fact that I have a longer drive to work. And I was able to give the directions, because I know my way out to Mansfield. :)

The new employees from the Wooster, Marion and Mansfield Panera Bread's come together in a meeting room at the Country Inn & Suites. Tuesday was really nice! There were only four people total, plus the district manager. Three of the girls were Heidi, Courtney and me. No one from Marion came, but Ashley, a girl from the Mansfield Panera was there. It was nice having a small group. More personal, and it was also fun having all girls, with the exception of the district manager. And my apologies, but I can't remember the DM's name right now.

What exactly is Planet Bread, you ask? Well, it was actually more relaxing than tense, which is good. It's just a time for you to know that you're not the only "new kid" (seriously, no one likes to be in that position alone), and you sit at a table, watch a Panera employee DVD, and you learn about why bread is important, as well as the pros of working at Panera, such as a much less greasy environment, comfortable dining room, a decent uniform of khakis/polo shirts, getting to decorate your own nametag, etc. There are more perks, but those are the one's I admire.

Oh, and also... you eat A LOT at Planet Bread! Haha. I wish I didn't eat much at the Wooster Panera! They fed us at Planet Bread. I was stuffed when I got home that night. The DM let us try samples, and he bought sandwiches for our supper (which was about two hours after my lunch!). It was really good. I was glad to have this opportunity. So, all of you... go apply for Panera! It's not everyday the DM treats you to supper. :D

One more thing... we were asked to scrutinize a baguette (one of the sides available at Panera!). Haha. I think this was my favorite part of the activities. A baguette, of course, is a chunk of a bread loaf, and we were asked to scrutinize, describe, touch, feel, smell and take slow bites of it. Well, I guess it's important to know how a baguette feels. It's floury, rough and bumpy on the outside, and spongy and cushiony on the inside, by the way. ;)

I apologize for not having any pictures from Planet Bread. I didn't even think of it! :(

But... tonight I did take a picture of my hat with a new addition. :)

I've recently learned about pins you can receive for your hat. These represent the different areas you train in. I think that's cool. I will ask about that in the near future. I see different pins on other workers' hats. I have one pin! This is the Planet Bread pin, which means that I've been through the program.

I worked a 10-2:30 on Wednesday. It was supposed to be cashier training, but I actually ended up helping the production crew. I spent most of the time weighing/bagging chicken, as well as getting soups ready and refilling them. I didn't do much cashier work. I did some "practice" orders on a worksheet, but that seemed really slow because there was no real human interaction. But thankfully, I was able to keep busy. Oh, and I also helped by bringing clean dishes out and taking dirty dishes into the kitchen. It was sure a hectic lunch rush!

Sometime in the future, I'll get some pictures of Panera and my coworkers. I'm going to wait a little bit though, consider I'm still "new." :)

I have today and tomorrow off work, and then I go in for both Sat/Sun. I actually wasn't scheduled for Sun, but a coworker is going camping this weekend, and she asked if I could cover for her. I said yes. It's going to be a long day, but I really want/need the hours. I just hope I have good stamina. :)

I didn't really do much on my day off today. I mostly just chilled out, and I did get a decent workout in this afternoon! I was so happy. I've recently started exercising again, and I really want to keep it up. I missed exercising so much, and today felt wonderful. I walked 2.5 miles on the treadmill, did some crunches & leg exercises, and then did some kicks. Yay.

I've been having some knee pains lately. I can't really remember the exact time it started, but I do remember it started at college a few months ago. Now, I could have bumped it, or really pulled something in that area. And it's just been flared up from time to time. Today it's been really flaring up. I'm also aware that I just started working a new job which requires kneeling, heavy lifting, etc. In fact, I DID hit my knee on something at work the other day. Ick. Well, another factor could be the fact that I DEFINITELY have thrown on the pounds this past school year. :'( And I have heard that weight gain causes different levels of pain (back pain, knee pain, etc). Thankfully, I'm starting to work on my weight though! I am going to lose those pounds, fit back into my favorite shirts/jeans, and not look so chunky! It'll take time, but I can do it. And senior year of college was definitely one of the most tense/stressful times of my life, and well... I gained weight. I don't need to explain it anymore from there. :P

Well, I will keep my eye on this, and I will start stretching before exercising, as well as continuing to take my vitamins, etc.

Have a wonderful night!

possible room changes? :.: morning fog :) :.: eLearning, cashier training

2011-07-12T22:23:00.002-04:00

Oh... on your days off from work, when you are putting off unpacking from college (yes, it's true! I haven't unpacked or cleaned my room yet!), you look for those random moments. Like this one, for example:

You know, looking at my room... I need to make some changes! It looks like I'm going to be home for awhile, so maybe I can look a new wall color, or something. At least new wall decorations, signs, etc. I have things from high school hanging up, and that's okay, but seriously, I need some new things! I'll keep you all posted on this.

Well, this morning I had two alarms set, and I woke up around 5:00am, got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed teeth, and made my approximately 35-minute drive to Panera. Wow. First of all, I had FORGOTTEN how peaceful 6 o'clock in the morning was on summer mornings around here. This morning was amazing. So quiet. I had some moments of deep thinking. Even though I was really tired this morning, it was a very peaceful drive to work, even though I had some rock music playing (not too loudly though. I have sensitive hearing :( ..).

Today I was scheduled a 7-1, but I ended up staying until 2. Well, actually I clocked out at 2 and consumed a late lunch. I ended up staying. I'll explain that momentarily. But first, from 7 to about 9:45 this morning, I had some more eLearning courses to take at Baguette Universiy. Hehe. I've now taken the dishes/dining room, production/prep, and cashier courses for BU. I'm not sure if there's anything else to take while I'm here. Just like the dishes/dining room course, I had to take a "final exam." That first exam, I got 100%. Then, for production I got around 80% and for today's exam, I scored a 95 percent. Yaay! :)

Well, I did start training for cashier today. I think it went fairly well. My training was from 10-2. It was pretty busy. Thankfully, I didn't have my own register because I was training. But it was cool, because I was put on training mode, where I got to start practice putting the orders in, mimicking the assistant manager or the other cashier, and it would print the receipt without actually sending the order to production. ;)

For the most part, I think that I did pretty well. I got lost and overwhelmed and hard of understanding what was going on. Well, I'm not sure if I'll end up as a dishwasher/dining room person, production, or cashier, but it looks like I'm getting a "taste" of the different areas. Haha. Get it? Taste? Food service? Yes, I'm lame.

Well, what ended up happening around 2:30 was... actually, it's almost 10:30, and I'm pretty tired and can't think right now. :( So, I'll do a horrible job of explaining it tonight. So... I will post another entry soon. Because it's worth blogging about. :)

I need to go to bed. I work a 10-2:30 tomorrow. Not too long of a shift. Then, I have two days off, and then I'll be working this weekend.

Blessings to my readers!

handwritten post :.: keep writing in schools! :.: work experience so far

2011-07-09T21:46:00.000-04:00

orientation = decent :.: patience, patience

2011-06-28T18:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was orientation at the Panera Bread in Wooster. I think it went pretty decent. I just wish that new jobs weren't always so overwhelming with information. But then, I guess if everything were simple and easily handled with no learning required, life would be boring. :)

First, when I got there, I did paperwork. Ick. It took me about an hour to read and sign all of them. After that, the general manager, Brett, looked over my paperwork, and I think he made sure I filled everything out correctly. Looks like I did. YaY!

Well, after the paperwork, I had to do a computer training program called Baguette University (haha, get it? baguette? bread? Panera?). I had to take five "classes," filled with lectures, quizzes, and a "final exam." I actually found the training to be helpful. A good amount of the information was common sense, such as offering customers refills, checking bathrooms for cleanliness, washing hands frequently, etc. But then, there were also some things I learned from the courses. It was a lot of information to take in, but I think I can remember it, or it will come back to me. I got 100% on the "final exam." :)

Well, the Baguette University courses took up a lot of time. After I was done with orientation for the day, I was asked to follow someone around in the dining room and get the feel for that. That didn't take very long. I just helped with pre-bussing and throwing things away. Then, after that I washed, sanitized and put away dishes for an hour & a half.

And then, at 2:00 I was shown how to clock in/out. Well, Brett said he will adjust my hours to 9am to 2pm. I hope he remembered. I've had issues with beginning clock in/out in a couple of my past jobs, so I get paranoid about it to this day. I didn't worry about it too much yesterday. I will trust that he remembered. At Panera, a manager has to clock in with you. At first, I thought that was for new employees, but Brett told me that was for everyone. Too many people abused the system in the past. I think people are ignorant when they do that. I mean, yes, we all need money, but managers do find out when you "cheat" and get that extra hour of cash without their approval. I'm sure I'll get used to clocking in with a manager in a short amount of time. :)

Well... Brett said that he was going to call me yesterday afternoon, and he never did. So, I was nervous last night and today, and I finally got around to calling Panera this afternoon around 2:30. They were busy, so an assistant manager had to return my phone call. She finally did around 4 o'clock, and she said she talked to Brett (today was his day off), and I'm supposed to come in tomorrow and Friday, both 10-2 for more training. I feel a little guilty that Brett had to be contacted, but I did wait 24 hours for the phone call. Well, at least I wasn't calling Panera immediately yesterday. At least I did wait. :)

So, it looks like I'm starting out with small hours. Hopefully, in time, I will have more hours. Hopefully the new job will be less overwhelming over time. And hopefully tomorrow, the minor things will improve, such as clocking in and out.

I'm thankful that I finally have something to start with, even if it is a 35-minute drive. It's something. :)

Well, here are some pictures my mom and I took yesterday when I got home:

As I mentioned in my previous post, the uniform is khaki pants and polo shirts, both of which you get yourself. You're supplied with two aprons, a nametag and a hat from Panera. Hehe. This is my first "hat" job. The hat got to be a little itchy yesterday. But it does look pretty cool.

After taking the hat off. :)

This was cool! None of the other jobs I had for did this. After orientation, you receive a "sample packet" of Panera breads. This was phenomenal! When I read "sample packet," I thought of a small bag.

Two bagels, a cinnamon roll, a cookie, and a loaf of bread.
One of the bagels is gone already. But parts and huge chunks of everything else are still there.
This is the best "sample packet" I've ever had... even if it is my first one! :)
Hehe... and this is probably the only time that I will get free food from Panera.

Proof that I actually did take home the packet. ;)

Panera lets you decorate your own nametag. hehe.

I can only wear mine on one side, because the reverse was printed upside down. :P

Me and my mom.

Have a wonderful Tuesday evening! :)

job interview = win? :) :.: keeping blog colors :.: laundry

2011-06-26T11:22:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my job interview at Panera Bread in Wooster. I think that it went pretty well. :) I was very nervous, but I think I handled the situation okay. I think I am getting better at interviews each time. I remember when I interviewed for my first job, I barely looked at the manager, I sat there cracking my knuckles below the table, I talked really fast, etc. Now that I've had a few interviews, I've learned to have more eye contact with the manager, not play with my class ring or crack my knuckles, and to just talk normal speed. It takes practice. :)

I've been asked to come in on Monday (tomorrow) for orientation, training, and it looks like my first shift. I'm not really sure how long it's going to be, or when we'll do the paperwork, etc., but I'm asked to be there at 9:00am. :)

Last night, my parents and I went out to stores to look for work clothes. My dad bought them for me. The uniform doesn't seem too bad. It's khaki pants and polo shirts. Now, the polo shirts were not a problem. I got a red one, a navy, a sky blue, a deep purple, and a blue striped and pink striped. I'm planning on starting with the solid colors, like the red, navy, etc., and seeing if it's okay to wear the brighter colors, like the pink one, in time. So, the shirts weren't a problem. :)

However, I do NOT like shopping for pants! I've always had a problem with finding pants, and I've gained weight during my senior year of college, and so that's thrown off my size a little bit. I did find 4 pairs of khakis to start with. :) Well, we all "grow," but I've "grown" a bit too much. Well, that's something I need to work on, and it will help to start working. That's why I'm hoping this job at Panera works out. Busy work where I'm standing a lot and doing things should help.

I'm really excited about the new job! Well, first of all, I'm very surprised about the quick turnout. I've never had a job this quickly before! Usually it takes at least 1-3 weeks for my applications to get looked at, or I need to call, and it takes a few days for the interview, and even days after that to start. So, I'm very thankful this is all starting in a few days. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. Starting a new job is always nerve-racking. But I think I'll be okay. :)

The only drawback about this so far is that the Wooster Panera Bread is about a 35-minute drive for me. The only thing to be concerned with that right now is gas money, but when winter comes, I will need to be concerned with winter driving (if the job works out!). We get some pretty nasty winters in Ohio! I remember my dad driving to and from Pizza Hut at times. Of course, that worked out with his work schedule at the time. We will have to wait and see. So far, I've given myself a whole hour to get myself to Wooster. In the winter, I will need to give it more time. But, thankfully, this isn't something to be too concerned with now. It is only the end of June. :)

One step at a time!

First, I need to get through the training, the first few days, the paperwork, clocking in and out okay, etc. That's the first step!

I'm happy right now. :)

Well, there's not much else to say. I'm doing laundry today. My new work clothes are in those loads. :) Also, I'm going to try to get to some of my bedroom today. I already have some walking space, now that I've taken laundry down in the basement. It's amazing how much room clothes take! And I have a small closet that's full, so I will need to get to that eventually!

Also, I've been thinking about this blog's colors, and I think I'm going to keep this layout for the month of July, since I haven't "used" this layout much.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

interview at Panera Bread tomorrow!! :.: pics from NY

2011-06-24T12:46:00.000-04:00

Well... I have a job interview at Panera Bread tomorrow! I'm very excited. I hope this job works out, considering the fact that I'm really not sure what sort of career I want with my English degree. I'm not really interested in teaching, working at a publishing company, or writing for a newspaper, BUT I will keep those options open, because you never know what may come of those jobs, and those could be something I love, or even something life-changing, or where certain people are met. :)

In the meantime, however, I've been planning (for awhile, actually) to just start with part-time somewhere and work up. I was really surprised yesterday though, because Panera Bread called ME! Usually retail/food service jobs don't call. You have to call them for an interview... most of the time. Cedar Point called me, and I forget about Gabriel Bros. I had to call Pizza Hut, and I had to email Academic Support (well, that's not retail, but it is an on-campus job, so I had big competition there). I mean, I don't mind calling work places. It helps your application stick out. But it's a nice surprise when someone calls you. :)

I'm very excited. I'll keep you all posted on this.

Well, I don't really have much else to say right now, and I know I promised you readers *some* NY pics. I want to upload all of them, but I took like 1300 from the whole week. Hehe. And... even then, I only uploaded about 630 of those pics on Facebook. That's still a lot though.

I will post my favorite pics, BUT that's hard because I have TONS of favorites. :)

We had a break, or a layover, at the Albany NY train station. It was an hour, where you got to walk around, stretch, etc.
I enjoyed train travel for the first time. :)
Flying is my favorite way to travel, but train is probably my second favorite. Hehe.
I will say that train travel is EASIER than plane.
In the airports, it gets a little stressful with security, checking luggage, making sure you're in the right areas of the airport (especially if it's a big airport), etc.
Train stations, from what I've seen, are smaller than airports, so it's easier to find things and get settled in.
Also, this may vary from station to station, but there is LESS security to get on a train than on a plane. Now, in NY there are security guards that walk around and such, but the Cleveland and NY Penn stations did not have metal detectors. Well, the NY Penn PROBABLY had the handheld "wand" detectors, in case they saw suspicious activity. But from what I saw, they're a lot more relaxed at train stations than airports.
So far though, I haven't had much problems getting through airport security. I've set off detectors, and the guard has "tapped" my pockets, but I've never been "wanded," and I've never had a pat-down. Now, I haven't flown since May 2010, so I haven't flown with the naked body scanners, the "intimate" pat-downs, etc. They definitely don't have those in the train stations, from what I've seen.

Our first supper in NY. :) These are the friends I mostly hung out with for the week.
We're all English majors.
On the left is Ariana and Dawn, and on the right are Bobby and me.
This is at Bravo Pizza! It was funny, because the four of us ate there first, halfway through the week, and we had our last NY meal there. And that sincerely was unintentional. We talked about it at our last meal. :)

The four of us went to church with Dr. and Mrs. Wiley on Sunday morning. Dr. Wiley was my academic advisor at MVNU, by the way. I finally met his wife on the trip. :)
There were actually 10-12 people on the trip altogether, but we all "split up" into our little groups. Haha!

Coney Island was one of my favorite places in NYC! I loved how it seemed like a typical "county fair" setup, but it had its unique set of rides, food, etc.
By the way, it was COLD that evening. The temperature dropped like 20 degrees in one day. But of course, as an Ohioan, I should be used to THAT. ;)

A flower that a random guy gave me at Washington Square. He was weird! He had a handkerchief tied to cover his mouth (like the robbers in Old Western movies!).

Chinatown was very interesting! At first, it was weird being the only table of Americans in the restaurant. But then I liked it because it gave me a feel of what it would be like to be in another country. :)

Times Square was PHENOMENAL, especially at night!
This is my favorite picture from TSq. I love how there's something going on everywhere. You see the man with the backpack, the one girl kneeling and taking a picture of the two friends in front there, people communicating across the street, McDonald's reflected on the bus, etc. :)

Colors! :D

I loved getting pictures of New Yorkers either doing their jobs, or just going about their daily activities.

We took a couple of cupcake breaks during the week. Hehe.
This one of them. This Bobby and Ben. Ben was the only one from the other groups that hung out with us once in awhile.
Because we knew we were the "cool group." ;)

We stayed at NYU dorms for the week (which I didn't think to get pics of! Silly me), and Dawn and Ariana were my roommies! This is at Coney Island, where it dropped about 20 degrees that day. Haha. I bought that pink hoodie I'm wearing in TSq. :)

There she is, The Statue of Liberty!
I admired seeing her in person. I never thought she was so tall! We did not go inside the monument. We just paid to tour the islands.

I loved Grand Central Station!

The castle reminded me of fairy tale princesses.

Just like in the movies. :)

This is my Facebook profile picture right now. Taken at F.A.O. Schwartz (THE toy store of NYC!).

Bobby, Ariana, me and Dawn on our 3-hour cruise tour of the city.

I loved the graffiti around the city. I'm not sure what this says, but it looks very artistic.

Tiffany's... THE jewelry store of NYC.

On the train. Headed back to Ohio. :(
I'm missing NYC a lot right now.

We had the same layover stop in Albany. NY on the way back. :)

Since I had never traveled by train before, I wanted to get a picture of one of conductors or train attendants. I found their uniforms to be quite spiffy! :)

Dining car! Supper time. They have a cafe/snack car too, but it wasn't open at this time.
Bobby, Ariana, Dawn and I all had the vegetarian pasta, even though none of us are vegetarians. That was the cheapest thing on the menu, and it was $14. That's still expensive, but we were really hungry, and they got you on a train, so you're trapped. The pasta was delicious though! And it was filling. So... it was definitely worth paying for it!

And my dessert ends the trip!

Hope the pics were enjoyable. There's lots more on Facebook. If you have any questions, or if you just want to make a comment in general, let me know.

Blessings to my readers!

movie theater FAIL :.: applying for jobs :.: messy bedroom

2011-06-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. Embarrassing, but interesting.

First of all, when I hung out with my friend Stacey on Monday, I received a phone call from the American Red Cross, and the lady asked me if I wanted to donate because they were in critical need of all blood types. Let me explain that their number kept calling me, but it did not show on my cell phone. It was funny, because they were calling me incessantly, and the caller ID just said "UNKNOWN," so I kept ignoring them, thinking it was some creeper! Haha.

Well, on Monday when I hung out with Stacey for the day, I finally had the guts to pick up, and it was the American Red Cross (ARC). Haha. Well, I said yes about donating, since its been over 8 weeks since I've donated last.

This plan was a FAIL. :P

See, I thought the lady was calling from Ashland. She was explaining that the blood drive is at the movie theater. I forget whether she said that I would win free movie tickets, or be put in a drawing to win movie passes. Haha! Nevertheless, she definitely wasn't calling from Ashland. :P

The last place I donated was MOUNT VERNON, when I was at college.

The ARC lady, I found out much later, was calling from Mount Vernon, not Ashland.

Ooops.

Oh well. So, needless to say. I did NOT donate blood yesterday.

I found out that the movie theater we have in Ashland is not even called Premier Theater, like the lady on the phone was telling me about. It's called Ashland Square Cinema, and it's been closed since January 2011 (as you notice, there's snow on the ground in the photo).

Fail. Obviously, I don't keep up with local events.

Well, I have donated blood in Ashland, Mount Vernon, Sandusky (where Cedar Point is), and even Missouri when I went to college for two years. So, I can see why I got confused yesterday. Haha.

Oh, by the way, here's the Mount Vernon movie theater:

The movie theater in Ashland wasn't that good anyway, so I'm not surprised why it closed down. I mean, it's sad that it folded over, but I've always gone to Mansfield for my movies. I've only seen a couple of movies in the Ashland theater, and I did see one movie in the Mount Vernon theater. ;)

Haha.

So, that made for an interesting day yeterday. It would've been cool to either get or enter to win movie passes, but I don't think I'm desperate enough to drive an hour to and from to donate blood. That's dangerous, and I can donate blood around here. So, that was my movie theater FAIL yesterday.

Well this week, I have been applying for jobs, and I've also been putting off cleaning my rather messy bedroom. I don't know why it's hard for me to clean it. But when I got home, I just dumped all my stuff from college in it. I WILL get to it though. I will start cleaning and organizing. This week though, I've been keeping myself busy with putting in applications.

I really wanted to go back to Cedar Point this summer, but it didn't work out for me to do that this summer. :(

I do have old local jobs around here, but I know Pizza Hut isn't hiring. Even then, I think they failed with putting a bar inside there, because they're really pushing sales associated with the bar every now and then. I think people are wanting to stay away. Well, duh! Pizza Hut should be a FAMILY restaurant, not a bar. I still remember the manager thinking that was a brilliant idea to do when I worked there about five years ago. They took out my favorite serving section to put in that bar. And they got rid of the dessert menu to add more alcohol. Oh well. It's their loss. I shake my head when I see them trying to get people to eat pizza in the bar on their little advertisement. :P

And when it comes to Gabriel Brothers, the discount store I worked at three summers ago, I don't believe they're hiring either. That's holding me back, as well as the fact that I remember getting sick from the heat. Gabriel Brothers is not air conditioned. And I wasn't allowed to carry bottled water because it looked "unprofessional."

I will try PH and GB if other places don't work, but I'm reaching out to other places right now. So far a couple places have paid a little attention to me. We'll see what happens. :)

Blessings to my readers!

fun day with a great friend! :.: Historic Roscoe Village & Kingwood Center :.: pictures

2011-06-20T23:55:00.000-04:00

Hello, readers! I know that I have been TERRIBLE with this blog, BUT I do intend to improve. Now that school is out, and I have finished my summer class, there should be more posts from me. I apologize for the gaps in my entries. I want to be dedicated to this blog again. I really do.

Yes, have been cheating on this blog with Facebook. I have a HUGE tendency to do that. I promised you, readers, the pictures and video clips of my trip to NY in here, but I've been putting them on Facebook and completely ignoring this blog.

I feel like I should have an orange traffic cone on my head right now. Haha!

Well, I've been uploading the pics on Facebook, but they're not all going to make it on there. See, I took about 1300 pictures of my week in NY. 492 pictures have been uploaded, and I'm only intending 100-150 more pictures. Plus the video clips I want to share as well.

I STILL plan to upload and share some pictures and video clips in here.

BUT... for today's post, I've decided to post pictures of what I did today. I definitely PROMISE you that these pictures have NOT made it to Facebook yet. If you are reading this post, you, readers, are the first to see these pictures. :)

I hung out with my very special high school friend, Stacey, today. It's really nice. I've known her since she came to Hillsdale in middle school. We were friends then. In high school, we came better friends. And now after high school, we've gotten to be really close friends, and it's really nice, because I know a lot of people don't have that chance. A lot of people end up losing contact with their high school friends. But so far when I'm not in school, I've been able to get to know Stacey better, and to spend a lot of time with her.

Well today, Stacey and I decided to take a little road trip out to Coshocton, OH. We visited the Historic Roscoe Village. It was beautiful! Stacey went there when she was a little girl, and I had never been there. It was really nice. The only shameful part was being on a $20 and under budget. Yes, it is true. I am broke for the first time in awhile. But honestly, being on this budget was not a big deal. I still had fun! I went out to eat, bought fudge, and bought ice cream. I just didn't get to go on any of the required pay tours or to buy souveniers, but ummm, I REALLY need to clean and organize my bedroom since I've dumped all of my college stuff in it since I've been home, before and after my summer class. :P

But yes, I LOVED Historic Roscoe Village! I wish to go back sometime in the near future. I'm glad Stacey took me out there. It was so much fun! Pretty much, like it sounds, Historic Roscoe is a village, or old houses turned into shops, restaurants, places where you can do projects or have lessons on something. There's red brick sidewalks. And even though there's still modern cars and signs of 2011 around, you feel like you travel back in time when you're here. By the way, I'm in the orange shirt, and Stacey is in purple.

After Roscoe Village, we went to Mansfield, one of our usual hangout cities, and we went to Kingwood Center. I've posted pictures of that place before, but today was pretty special because it was RAINING! Haha. Here's pictures of our rain adventure at Kingwood:

I know that there is lack of captions! And pictures in the second half. I meant for them to be more, but the site is running slow. :P I usually place captions below each picture. If there's anything you would like to know more about, let me know!

Tomorrow... I'm going out to fill out applications! I've been planning to dedicate tomorrow to job hunting.

Blessings to my readers, and more posts will come!

NY class! :.: coming home from trip :.: wow!

2011-06-12T00:09:00.000-04:00

Wow.

That's pretty much most of what I've been saying today.

I am returning back from the trip with my New York Lit. class right now. We are on the train right now. First of all, let me say that blogging about this trip worked out differently than how I planned. I wanted to take my laptop to New York with me and to blog an entry every evening or something. That DID NOT work though! First of all, the laptop would not fit in my suitcase or my backpack. I overpacked. But honestly, looking back now, I'm glad I didn't bring it, because I did not have time to blog, and in the entire week that I was there, I was busy with meetings, activities, visiting attractions, eating, etc., to the point where I was too tired to do anything at the end of each night.

So, my apologies, but I had planned to make an entry each day, but it was a fail from the beginning. And I learned that when you go to NY, you live like a New Yorker! Haha. As in, you do the things a NY does, in how he/she eats, takes transportation, etc. It was tiring, but very informative and quite recreational, I might add. :)

I'm typing this on my phone, by the way.
Hmmmm.

There's just so much to say!
I can't even describe New York in an one word. I've truly been impacted by all of this.
And I have blisters.
I will write again soon! G'nite!

Happy June! :.: new blog colors :.: last college class has started! :.: shoes?

2011-06-02T19:32:00.003-04:00

Oh, shoes.

They come in many sizes, designs, types, and comfort levels! Some only have one or two pairs, others have many. No matter how often shoes have become a part of your life, they end up coming off at some point. For me, shoes are off as much as much as I can. I love barefeet. I don't know how people can stay hours in their houses with shoes on. Give your feet a chance to breathe! Don't constrict them 24/7.

No matter what kind of relationship you have with your shoes, you do need to put them away, either on the floor somewhere, in the closet, underneath your bed, in a bag, or... a cable antenna?

Haha! Yup, that is a real pair of shoes on top of the Birch apartments at MVNU. Whoever did this... thank you! You have made my day. :)

Well, happy June to everyone! I hope you all enjoy my new blog colors and font. Good job to whoever created this background! I've always liked stars.

I am back on campus for a couple of weeks, actually. My summer class is, well, the OFFICIAL title is ENG4089 / Special Topics in Literature: Literature Landscapes. However, since this class focuses primarily on New York literarure and includes a trip to NYC, I've decided to call the class New York Literaure. And... I think other people in the class are naming the class with that title as well.

Well, only 5 people are actually taking the class: me, Dawn, Bobby, Ben and Mitch.

The rest of the people are, literally, just coming on the trip and getting travel credit, or whatever it's called in college. I know you can get some type of credit for traveling with a class. It's not a full class credit, like 3 credit hours. BUT if you have the time and money, I'm sure it helps to squeeze those extra credit hours in. Take it from someone who couldn't graduate quite on time. ;)

We have like 10-12 people on the trip going to NYC, I believe. I'm really not sure on the exact number. What I do know is that, orginally, 20+ people were actually required for this. But, we had *just* the right amount of people to still be allowed to do this class and trip. So, a BIG THANK YOU to those who did sign up for this course and/or trip! Not only do I need this class to finish college this month and not have to come back for one class in the fall, but also... I've never really gotten to travel with a class or for a class before. So, I'm really thankful for this opportunity.

I've always wanted to take a trip for school. I know that sounds lame, but it's true. And I'm finally doing it. And what's funny is that this is my first and last school trip.

Well, details (and pictures!) to come about all of this, but the first detail I will leave you all with is that we are scheduled to board the train around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning! Weeee! Yes, we are taking a train! I love to fly, but I've always wanted to know what taking a train is like. I guess I'll find that out soon.

Blessings to my readers!

final grades :) :.: tornadoes in MO :( :.: summer class = next week!

2011-05-24T12:04:00.001-04:00

Hello, everyone!

I am so happy to (hopefully) write in here on a regular basis again! School was just getting really crazy, and I really needed to focus on my classes. Thus, I abandoned my blog. But now I'm here. And I'm FINISHED with the spring semester of my SENIOR year of college! Weeee!

Did I graduate? Well, no. Commencement was on Saturday, but I wasn't eligible to participate in this one. I am short 2 credit hours of what I need to graduate, and I have to have all my credit hours finished to walk in commencement. Needless to say, Saturday started as a rough day for me. I was depressed when I woke up, and I cried when I saw all the status updates, pictures of graduation, etc. on Facebook. But, I guess it just goes to show that May 2011 was not my time to finish college. :]

I've gotten stronger. I'm not crying anymore. Because I still get to finish THIS year. :) I'm still part of the Class of 2011. I'm just finishing in June with a summer class, and then I'll walk in December! YaY! And December is when Christmas and my birthday are, so that makes it special. :D :D

So, that will be my happy ending of college. And I'm VERY excited about my summer class. It starts next Tuesday! I'm excited/nervous all at the same time. We're going to New York City for one week (the class is three weeks though)! That definitely makes up for not graduating in May. hehe. More details on that to come.

Well, here are my final grades for spring semester! These were some VERY, very tough courses.

Contemporary Lit - B
American Novel - A-
English Lit II - B <--- I was worried about that one!
Tragedy - B <--- worried about that one, too!
Creative Writing - A

That's ALMOST the Dean's List, but not quite. :P

Blessings to my readers! <3

And... my heart goes out to Missouri and all the tornado victims. :'(

Oh, dear.

2011-05-07T15:10:00.002-04:00

I apologize, once again, for failing to post entries in here.

I do intend to continue this blog. I do. Honestly.

I just wish that I had time for everything in the world.

Sigh.

Soon. That day will come. Soon.

first entry on phone! :.: Easter break is here. :.: soo tired

2011-04-21T23:16:00.000-04:00

Wow! I cannot believe I'm doing this... I'm making my first blog post via phone. I'm so happy right now. I just wish that I was more awake to enjoy it. I am so tired. I am writing this on the first night I am home forn break. Yup, Easter break is here. I have homework to do, BUT I am also planning to get some relaxation time as well. After all, it is break. Then again, I am behind in my assignments now... and I'm tired of blaming senioritis. Haha. I'm ready to blame myself. So... I'm sprry that this is all one unfocused paragraph. I'm not sure how to make paragraphs separate on my phone. Nezt entry will be done on the computer. I have some pics and good news concerning my job on campus to sharw with you all, can't wait to get them uploaded. Well, I'm off to bed! :D

senioritis :.: British Lit. 2 = hoping to improve! :.: daydreaming

2011-04-15T14:59:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh! My senioritis has gotten worse! I am having a hard time focusing on anything anymore. I'm behind in my readings, once again, and I've been doing other things instead of doing homework. It hasn't gotten too serious, but it is starting to weigh on me in British Literature II. The quizzes for that class are really difficult, and I haven't kept up real well in that class. Been getting D's on the quizzes. :(

Grrrr.

I think that's the only class where I feel insecure in at the moment. I'm a little concerned about my Tragedy class, but that one I can figure out. I'm sorry to be a heartbreak, but British Lit. is just not my strong point. *sigh* And I'm getting worried about all of these classes are major classes, and you need to get a C or higher in the classes for your major. British Lit? Please be a C or higher! Please.

Well, I still have a few weeks left of school. Not many. But enough to take action if I do something about it now. And I mean, now. As in... this weekend. Maybe put BL on my top priority of classes? Something? :)

"I think I can, I think I can."

Yes, I can do it. I will defeat senioritis! I will, I will.

Well, it hasn't been all bad. I received my Contemporary Lit. on Tuesday, and I got a B! YaY! Not the best grade, but good enough. So, that makes B's for both my American Novel and Cont. Lit. papers. Still not sure about my Tragedy paper yet. Heh. What a tragedy that I don't know what I got.

I really do hope I show senioritis who is boss. There's too much to do throughout the rest of the semester, and eventually my summer class to slack off anymore. I will get back to work. I guess we could give our minds a rest. It looks like I've given mine too much of a rest. And too much daydreaming. Yes, that's another thing! I keep daydreaming of things I really want to do... instead of focusing on the NOW. I need to work on that.

Happy Friday! Blessings to my readers. <3

blessings! :.: feeling peace :.: senioritis is kicking in

2011-04-07T23:32:00.001-04:00

A lot has gone on since I've made my last post. Don't worry, not the types of things that make a long, boring, drawn-out entry.

I've been really blessed lately. My parents and I made a trip to the Alltel store on Saturday, and we got a good deal on new phones. I love my new phone! At first, it was overwhelming switching from a Samsung flip phone to an Android with a keyboard. Well, actually my first cell phone had a keyboard, and then I got a flip phone, and then now I'm back to the keyboard. It's a nice phone. I can check email, post a Facebook status, etc. There's so many features on it! My dad is paying for it because I'm not able to pay for it myself yet. <3

So, that's been the main excitement this week.

Everything else has been school, school, school. Ick. So much to do, but for some reason I have been feeling peace. I haven't felt too stressed out because of it. I mean, I feel some stress, but I've been able to relax some about it this week. Which is nice because last week, I had the hardest time relaxing. :P

Senioritis is starting to kick in.

I got an 86% on my American Novel essay. Passing gives you a wonderful feeling!

Blessings to my readers!

new blog colors! :.: pictures! :) :.: bubble gum? :.: April Fools' Day

2011-04-01T20:22:00.004-04:00

So, I have come to the conclusion that I don't like blogging much anymore, and I've decided to quit. Bye.

Ha! April Fools!

Nah, I'm not leaving. But I really would like to have all the time in the world to have more posts in here, and to do more of the things I love. It's so relieving to take a breather. Whew. This week at school was crazy! I pulled two *almost* all nighters (working, napping, continue working) to write papers, read and get to the point where I'm only a little behind in schoolwork. My goodness! I just came back from spring break on Monday, and already that evening was filled with two papers for American Novel and Contemporary Lit., and my second excerpt for my Creative Writing class. And then on Wednesday night, I had a long night of my Tragedy paper and readings for other classes. Too much! Too much! I'm not sure what I got on my papers, but I'm not too concerned. They're done. They're turned in. The only things I have due are my readings for my classes... at least for now.

Oh! Do you like my new blog colors? I love this design! I will admit that I started with a normal template, but then I found out how to add the background design and change the colors and font to where they're more... me! Which makes having a blog more exciting! :D

Well, here are some pictures I took with my cell phone of my week. First of all, I'll let you all know that I do not just take notes in class. I also doodle in my notebooks! It helps me to pay attention better. :)

I usually draw random things around my class notes.

Or... I create designs.

Yeah, I'll leave it up to the Disney people to draw Winnie the Pooh and friends. :P

Moo.

And for the other topic for today, in Academic Support when I have my meetings with Ellie (the APM trainer, she's so nice!), she gives us APM's candy or something for encouragement. This time, I got this bubble gum. It's been, literally, ages since I had it!

And I hope this photo doesn't disturb you. Seriously, if you need to to talk to someone afterword, I understand. I'm a little scared myself. :P

Actually, I have a confession to make. *looks around and whispers* I don't know how to blow bubble gum bubbles. :(

I've tried, and I've tried. It's something I've never learned to do. I mean, I can do the beginning part of preparing to blow the bubble, but I've never been able to actually blow a bubble. How embarrassing. Well, I guess that I can place it on a To Do list of mine, and get to it later. Oh, how many To Do lists have I made now? Haha. I loooove lists! They're fun! And I haven't made the ultimate bucket list yet. I want to. I just haven't gotten around to making it yet. Soon though. Soon.

Blessings to my readers! :D

Very busy!

2011-03-30T14:10:00.002-04:00

AGGGGGGGGHHHH!

I've wanted to make posts in here, but I haven't had much time. I WILL post in here again, hopefully soon! <3

8 more days! :.: so much to do, so little time :.: update on wrist

2011-03-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the negative entries I've had these past few days. I will try my best to improve. I mean, come on! This blog is supposed to be my FUN writing. Not my "boo hoo, everything is tearing me apart now" writing. Hehe. Well, stress does a lot of things to people. For me personally, too much stress is a mood ruiner, and a panic mode initiator.

I'm really thankful for this time of year! I've been thinking about things I don't normally ponder. It's nice. Of course, I'm not sure if it's realy the time of year that's causing me to think. I think it could just be where I'm at in college and life and such. So yeah.

Spring break is eight (8) days away! So much to do until then (and hopefully not during then!). I'm taking a little break right now from academics, but I'm getting ready to hop back into them. It's just hard because spring feels so far away with the rather chilly temperatures we've had, the cloudy days, etc. It's really hard to function! I'm really happy about my performance in classes today. Usually I'm very quiet in class and afraid to speak up, but today in The American Novel, especially, I was answering questions, throwing in my thoughts, etc. It was nice. I hope to continue that because if I want to be a writer/journalist someday, I need to learn to speak up. :)

Wow, three blog posts in a row for me!

I've recently joined Facebook's 30 Day Picture Challenge. I'm going to wait at least a few days to post the pictures in here. I just think it'd be nice to have them in groups, or bunches. :)

Update on wrist: Still hurts. Graadduallyy getting better. Impatient. In denial how hard I hit the floor, and wanting it to get all better in one day. *deep breath* Patience needed.

Well, I better log off and get back to reading. I'm reading novels #6, #7, and #8 right now for my classes, as well as a play trilogy. As well as preparing to write papers. I consider a lot done this semester, but I still have a long way to go.

Blessings to my readers!

tired :.: need rest NOW!

2011-03-09T19:12:00.001-05:00

I'm tired.

I want to be the type of person that can overcome just about any obstacle. I envy those people. I don't intend to sound disrespectful, but how can certain people get by on almost no sleep and still be giddy and completely motivated to do anything they want, whereas there's people like me that can only take so much at a time?

As much I hate to admit it... I'm no supergirl. :(

I'm tired.

So... to fix this, I am going to ignore my homework assignments right now and just crawl into bed and rest. I tried reading for one of my classes tomorrow, but everything I'm reading says, "Blah, blah, blah" because it is, literally, in one eye and out the other.

Tonight is the Ash Wednesday service in chapel. I want to go, but it starts in three minutes, and I'm tired. Besides, as I mentioned yesterday, I'm not really feeling I should fast or give up anything at the moment. If I'm meant to give something up, I'm sure it will come to me. Besides, if you really think about, Lent can be observed any time during the year. Easter is the time that it takes place, but what people tend to forget is that Jesus, prayer and fasting do exist outside of the Lent season, too. :)

busy! :.: Ash Wednesday tomorrow! :.: sleepy :.: stressed

2011-03-08T20:52:00.001-05:00

Time is moving very quickly, and tomorrow is Ash Wednesday already! Wow. The Lent season has arrived later this year, BUT it still came quickly. I haven't really thought much about Lent this year. I enjoyed celebrating Lent for the first time last year. As some of you probably remember, I fasted Facebook/Youtube, but I still blogged, checked my email, etc. It was a very nice time, and I enjoyed learning how other people prepare for Resurrection Sunday (Easter) by giving up something for around 40 days to remember Jesus' 40 days in the desert.

I'm not really feeling a strong tugging in my heart to give up something this year, but I'm thinking of trying small things throughout Lent, like making goals such as finding a prayer closet on this campus! Yes, that's true. I still haven't found that quiet/private place to pray. It's hard. And I'm not going to be in college much longer, but I still think I should find "that place," you know? I miss that time with God! I've been so wrapped up in homework, class, work, meetings, and errands, that I've pushed God aside. :(

No wonder I've been... well, I have been a lot of things. I've been clueless, angry, depressed, and sometimes rude. It's just something I've noticed about me. Well, one of my roommates told me yesterday that she was tired of my bad mood. Actually, it's not just my bad mood she's been tired of. She told me that she's tired of everyone's bad moods, especially with just about everybody in the campus apartment. :(

Spring break needs to come. Of course, it's not coming for at least 1.5 weeks. So, until then, I need to CHILL, as difficult as that may be, and go along for the ride.

Well, as I said, I am not feeling I should give up anything (well, except my negative attitude toward life lately!), and Lent is going to be different for me this year. I want to focus on praying more and concentrating on Jesus and school.

I'm almost to the finish line (in college). I just wish I didn't hit a recent stumbling block (my sprained wrist).

____________________________________________

R.I.P. Logan Busch
March 7, 2006

March! :.: snow = melting! :.: wrist update :.: lots to do :.: 2 more weeks

2011-03-04T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hello, bloggers! Welecome to March. As you can see, I have changed my colors again. I have been making a mediocre amount of entries lately. I'll try to improve on that, but with school and everything, it has been quite arduous. Well, it has been about 10 days since I sprained my left wrist. It still hurts, but I think that the pain has decreased. I mean, I'm not in that "emergency" state anymore, which is good. And I can move my arm and such. It's just annoying because it's my left wrist, and it's been making writing very difficult. :(

But... it's like I've been telling everyone, I should be thankful because with the way I caught myself as I fell, I could've hurt both wrists. I could've hit my head. So yeah. I've been trying not to complain so much. I mean, there is pain. But I could have a cracked head that's trying to heal right now. And I certainly don't want that, so I'll choose my "heavily sprained" writing wrist.

I'm just a little overwhelmed because this is my first hospitalized injury, so I'm figuring it out as I go. Each day I try to figure if the pain is better or worse, and if it's worse, have I been stressing my wrist within in the past 24 hours. That type of thing. Well, my wrist was definitely stessed this week because I did laundry, I took notes in class, I carried things, etc. But I've been trying to do things with my right hand such as eating, turning water on and off for my showers, opening doors, etc. I think those minor changes may help.

I'll keep an eye on this, and if it doesn't get any better by spring break (in 2 weeks!) at the latest, then I'll see where else to go on this. Well, at least I'm not to the point where I'm bawling about this anymore. I mean, I've cried this week, but it's been more of frustration, stress, feeling trapped, etc. Oh, and I think the GENERIC brand of the pain medication that Wal-Mart sold me didn't help. It didn't help with the pain, and it just made me moody throughout this week. Not fun! So, I'm pretty much just taking Advil every now and then, and my mood has been better since I took myself off the generic brand for Vicodin, even if that is "illegal" in the medical field. Well, sorry doctors, but if the medicine didn't help the pain and was only making me throw tantums (when no one was looking, thank goodness), yawn and sleep throughout this week, then why I should I take those last three pills?

Anyways, there's not too much more to write about right now. I'm happy that it's Friday and that the snow has been melting. Last Friday we had our hopefully last snow storm. Ick. It's been raining all day today, which is a nice change of pace. Of course, I'm still VERY cautious about wet floors, especially right now.

A lot of people have their spring break right now. But mine will be here in 2 weeks.

Lots to do until then.

Blessings to my readers! <3

This week = bad! :.: sprained wrist :.: lousy fitness center :.: snow

2011-02-24T18:17:00.004-05:00

It is funny how sometimes I talk to my parents or someone else, or even I think myself how I wish I had more things to blog about. I feel really boring for just talking about school all the time, and just every once in awhile, I like a unique entry. Well, I guess... be careful what I wish for! This week has sure been eligible for blogging! My goodness. I don't even know where to start.

Well, let me just say that we all have bad weeks in our lives... some more than others. And this week is one of my bad weeks. It's not a horrible week, I should say. It's just not a fun week. But, I guess it's something other than just classes and homework to blog about. Speaking of which, I am a little behind in my academics right now because of this week, but I will not let that get me down. :)

Anyways, I will start on Monday when I found out that more broken machines occupying MVNU's fitness center. So much for working on my new year's resolution of running a mile. No, I've never been able to run a mile nonstop, and I was hoping this would be the year to do it. I was excited because 1.5 weeks ago, I was almost up to running 1/4 of a mile without stopping. And I've been using the treadmills, but now that there's only like 3 working ones left. Grrrr. Well, I'll take heart. Because it's only February. I've got 10 more months to work on this resolution. And I do enjoy walking/running. I mean, I walk and run on and off, but more of walking right now. As the snow melts, I can possibly start walking and running every now and then around campus (ON dry pavement! No snow or ice on it, I promise!). Or see about walking/running laps around the gym when it's not being used. Hmmm. I'll figure it out. And besides, this wasn't the only the resolution for 2011 I made. There's plenty more to work on. :)

So yeah, frustration has filled the fitness center at MVNU. On Monday, there was a guy who lost his cool and yelled because he waited for about an hour for a treadmill, and a girl almost got on one, and that's when he yelled about how he was next. *sigh* Please, somebody, fix our equipment! Please! Soon, we won't have any fitness center because there won't be any equipment. :P

I fell and sprained my wrist on Tuesday! No, I didn't slip on the ice. That's what everyone's been asking me. I fell on a wet floor, just about 5-6 feet from my American Novel classroom. I wasn't running. I wasn't even walking fast. Usually I do walk fast, but this time I was actually taking my time. All I wanted to do was go to class and get through the day. Well, I slipped, fell on my back, and I tried catching myself on my way down. I didn't hit my head, thank goodness. My backpack served as a wonderful cushion. But I still went to American Novel class... I cried the whole time, pretty much. The pain was overwhelming, but I couldn't bring myself to leave, you know? But I didn't go to Contemporary Lit.

The professor I have for Am. Novel at 11:30 is the same professor for my CL class, and he didn't see me fall, but he saw me cry during class, obviously, and I explained to him what happened, and he had someone from Am. Novel escort me to the school nurse, which I thought was very nice! It was my friend Tracy. :)

So then, I'm sitting there waiting for the school nurse to come back from lunch. She came back, and she took me to the ER and also to Wal-Mart to get prescription. This is my first immediate hospitalized injury, so I was really overwhelmed on Tuesday. I'm thankful though that this was my first. Anyways, I didn't have to wait too long in the ER, thank goodness. I got X-rays and all that. It turns out I "heavily sprained" my left wrist, which is the hand I write with. Been struggling with it. :(

Ouch.

Well, I'm taking the generic brand for Vicodin at bed time, and I'm taking Ibuprofen (Advil) every now and then. I haven't taken Ibuprofen yet today. I think I'll take it after I'm finished with this. I just want to be careful with the meds. This is still kind of overwhelming for me. But I wear a thing to remove at bed time and shower time, which makes me happy.

I'm supposed to return to the ER next week if my wrist isn't better. So, I hope it improves. Here are pictures I took with my cell phone:

This is at the school nurse's place at MVNU. She has a chalkboard for people to write or draw on, and I thought this was a cool design someone did. :)

Painting at the ER that (kinda) helped distract me.

Before I got my brace thing, this was the most comfortable way to hold my arm. Awkward, I know. And that still hurt when I held it that way. I couldn't move it very well. Every time I moved my arm, I had to really keep myself from screaming. It was torture! :(
Oh! And I know in the pic it looks like my right arm, but it's my left arm. I closed my phone to talk the pic, and when I do close my phone to take pictures, it reverses the pics and makes them backwards. Kinda like a mirror. So yes, that is my left arm.

And here it is.

I'm still in pain, but not as much as on Tuesday which I am thankful for. I hope that means it's getting better and not just numbing because of the medicine. It hurts when I accidentally twist my hand, bump it, accidentally overuse my left hand, etc. Ugh. Being a lefty is so addicting. Haha. Of course it is, especially when I am a lefty.

Blessings to my readers!

work meeting :.: last name pronunciation

2011-02-15T21:02:00.002-05:00

I work in Academic Support on campus. I get a really small amount of hours each week, but that's expected with most on-campus jobs. And besides, it'd be hard to juggle everything in school if there were more hours involved. I'm just thankful to have a job! Anyways, each week (or soon to be every other week), we have meetings for the employees. We get paid for the meetings. Tonight's meeting was interesting.

Many people plan to get married and start a family.
Well... when you find a husband/wife, you want him/her to be able to live with you. Of course, that could mean several different things for anyone.
For me, I need my future husband to be on the same page as me. I'm not talking so much about likes and dislikes as I am with beliefs. I mean, I don't like sports, but my husband can like/play sports if he wants. I just want him to be on the same page as me as far as religion, political views, and things like beliefs on other important issues are. Well, after tonight's meeting at work, I think it's important for my future husband and I decide together how we should pronounce our last name.

A former MVNU student (graduated last year) has a three-syllable last name, and she was pretty well known on campus. I knew who she was, and I transferred in last year. She was a nice girl. Well, tonight at our work meeting, I learned that this girl pronounced her last name in two different ways... because her mom said it one way, and her dad said it another way. So, she said it both ways, and would like take turns saying it both ways.

Honestly, I DON'T think it's right or wrong. I think it's interesting, but it may be a little confusing for the kids, especially when they're young. I want to be on the same page as my future husband on this. And I do plan to pronounce my new last name the same way as him. And yes, I am going to be old-fashioned and change my last name. :)

But everyone has their viewpoint of how they see things. :)

classes have begun! :.: wishing it was spring :.: Little Lamb by William Blake

2011-02-11T20:52:00.004-05:00

Hey, everyone! I really don't have much to say right now, but I wanted to update and let you all know that spring semester has started for me. After our ice storm, classes began on Friday, February 4th, and I just finished my first full week of classes. My classes are going to be keeping me busy this semester! Really, really busy. Thankfully, they haven't kept me running around too much, so at least the first week wasn't a slap in the face. :P

Well, here is what I am taking for spring 2011:

English Literature II
Special Topics in Creative Writing: The Novel
Special Topics in Literature: Appropriating Tragedy
The American Novel
Contemporary Literature

I like all of them so far, except for the Tragedy course, but maybe I'll like it soon. It just seems a little awkward right now, especially since tragedies aren't my favorite plays to read. Oh well. The important thing is that I think I'm going to like most of my classes. Oh, and just so my readers know, for the creative writing class, I will NOT be writing a full novel this semester. This class is to help me begin or continue a novel. Haha. I am scared about the creative writing class because I've never taken this type of class before, but I know I can do it! And besides, the Special Topics in Creative Writing is a substitute for another class, so that I don't have to come back in the fall for just one or two classes. The Tragedy course is also a substitute for another class. I'm still planning to finish in the summer and walk in December! *gasp* Yay, it's now 2011, and I don't have to say "walk in December '11" anymore. I can now say "December" and "THIS summer". :D

Well, there's really not much else to write. I wish it was spring weather outside! :P

Upon closing, I would like to share a poem that we read in my English Lit. II class this week. I liked it a lot. Blessings to my readers!

"The Lamb" by William Blake

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and he is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb.
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Ladies Retreat 2011 :.: Indian Bear Lodge :.: Ruth 4:14

2011-02-06T20:58:00.001-05:00

Tonight is the night of Super Bowl Sunday.

Am I going to blog about the Super Bowl? The answer is... NO!

I hope I don't disappoint you sports fans, but something really cool happened to me this weekend! What is it, you ask? I went on a Ladies Retreat with a couple college students at MVNU and women from Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene! It was phenomenal and beautiful, and it was totally worth my time and money. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that it was too short of a retreat. I was only there for a little over 24 hours. And time went so fast!

This was a relaxation retreat. It was a retreat to "get away from it all," and to chill, meet other ladies, eat, make arts and crafts, and also study God's word. We studied the book of Ruth when we were there, and the emphasis on the retreat was how we are blessed with a "kinsman-redeemer" in Ruth 4:14. It was a beautiful retreat! But don't take my word for it... see for yourself! Oh, just to let you know, I took A LOT more pics than this, but these are the better-quality pictures for posting, I mean as far as bluriness and mess-ups go.

Walking with Katie over to Lakeholm for the 3 o'clock carpool. And the ice storm we had caused this poor tree to snap in half. I'm so glad that we were able to walk under it.

*snap*

YaY, it's official. We're going. :)

And we're here! :D

How!

Growl.

:)

This is where my room was.

The longer building was where all of the retreat activities took place.

:)

This is a genius idea for a doorknob! :D

A better view of the outside of where I stayed. And there's Katie!

This was our bunk bed! :D I slept on the queen-sized bottom, and Katie slept on the twin-sized top.

YaY! :D

I went through and took pictures of as much as I could! This place had a lot to it though, so I couldn't get *everything*.

Queen-sized bunk beds! By the way, all of the beds shown in this blog post were used. I just took all of the pictures before they were used. :)

I loved this stairway! I was jealous of the ladies who had to take it to get to their room. :P

This was our schedule. :)

A red, heart-shaped bathtub! Yeah, this would obviously be the honeymoon suite. :)

These showers remind me of a locker room.

:)

This was my supper on Friday! I didn't take pictures of every meal, but doesn't this look good? :)

And here are pictures of a good amount of the other women. Some were still in the process of showing up. But here's who all were here for now...

I love how this place has a different feel at night. :)

Haha! We had a "purse scavenger hunt". My team lost, but it was still fun, and here's what we found. :P

This was part of my team. I don't know where the other ladies ran off to...

Our scavenger hunt list. :D

This is one of the worship songs we sang. :)

The next morning...

One thing I really liked about our guest speaker, Vicki (dressed in purple, facing us), was that she talked to us like we were her friends and family. It was nice! I've been to other things where the speakers haven't done that. I know that speakers are usually busy, but I think it's really special when they talk to us. :)

Headlights?

Yay, a piece of Home Away from Home! Katie, Natasha, me, and Glee. :)

Vicki shared her testimony, and she talked about how this was part of the prayer she prayed when she wasn't sure if God was real. I had to copy it down. She shared the story about how she was doubting, she prayed this prayer, and how a couple days later, when she was at college, she felt a sudden urge to go home, and she didn't know why. Well, when she got there, her parents weren't home, but she went in anyway, and the house was filled with smoke. Vicki saw that a fire had started on her parents' stove, and she made it in time to put it out and save her parents' house. She said to this day, she was thankful or praying this prayer and how God gave that feeling of needing to go home. :)

YaY for arts and crafts time! We did stamping activities as well as beading. I was inspired by the beading! I made 3 bracelets and a bling bling to put on my purse. One of the bracelets is for my mom. I may think about experimenting with beading and seeing what I can come up with. :)

Ladies, if you ever get the opportunity to go on one of these things, GO! It's a lot of fun, and it's really cool to hang out and meet people... and it's really nice. I'm sad that tomorrow is Monday, and but I'll be happy to talk about this with anyone and to have this on my mind as I initiate my first full week of classes. :)

Blessings!

Happy February :.: winter storm + ice = ouch + power outage :.: photos!

2011-02-02T22:06:00.001-05:00

Hello, everyone! Happy February! Once again, I have changed the colors of my blog. I thought these colors were suitable for this month. I'm not really a fan of this month because of all the snow and winter weather in this part of the country, as well as the emphasis on couples and Valentine's Day. BUT I go on with life, and I try not to get depressed because it's not worth feeling sorry for myself. :)

And February is an important month. This is Black History Month. I love learning about people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and how much of a difference African Americans have made. I know most of them will never read this blog, but I want to give a big THANK YOU to EACH of you for your bravery, your dedication, and your beliefs that things in life were not right. You helped many people see this. I wish that I could have been alive during those times.

Well, I'm not really sure where to start my blog entry. I moved back on campus yesterday, and I have been in the process of redecorating my side of the dorm room here. I have recently been inspired by some students who were posting sticky notes in a checkered pattern across the hall from Academic Support (where I work) about a week ago. Although I'm not sure why they had the sticky notes, I was inspired as I thought about this during J-term break, which is what I have recently come back on campus from. I got me some Sticky Post-It notes. Colorful ones! And I have decided to work on my own project this coming semester. Here's a couple photos:

As you can see, I'm going to work on focusing more on the positive and find as many things as I can to praise God about. I know that the checkerboard doesn't look too realistic since it is five different colors, but I couldn't make the whole thing just two colors the whole way through. hehe. There are 165 squares, and throughout the semester I'm going to write what I'm thankful for on different squares... and the order I write them will be random. No sense of going in order. I mean, when you play Checkers, your game pieces sure do not stay in the same order. This is going to be fun! And perhaps at the end of the semester, I will list what I've been thankful for. I hope to use all the squares.

Also, during J-term break, I made to Claire's in the mall, and I bought myself a plastic curtain decoration for a lil' part of my closet:

*bling bling*

I like it. :)

Oh, and here are more photos of my side of the room since I've brought some more stuffed animals back to school, and since I've redecorated.

Honestly, the only thing left to talk about is this HUGE winter storm that many, many people have received. I'm sure you all have seen Facebook statuses, headlines, and just word of mouth about how people have been without power. That was us at MVNU! Well, some of us. It hasn't been too bad. We got our power back a couple hours ago, but it was on and off. It looks like it's been staying on for awhile now, so that is good. :)

I fell on the ice today, and my left ankle was the main victim. :( *cries* I've been limping around since then. It hurts, but I'm keeping it elevated right now, and I'm about to take some Tylenol or something. I hope it's just a spraign. Well, we know it's not broken because I'm moving it around. I'm just upset. I should've known that the shortcut back to the campus apt. was not the smart way to take today. Arrrgh.

Well, here's a reminder of the power outage.

Isn't this glowstick awesome? My RD gave them out last night for the upstairs bathroom. Oh, and that's not a real candle. It has an On and Off switch, and it requires AA batteries. hehe.

So, what did I end up doing for most of the day, you ask? Well... I read for most of the day. I read 70 pages out of the book I bought for myself for my birthday. Here it is:

It is an amazing book! I love it. It's written by a Christian couple, and the advice that's in it is amazing. It's written for single, dating, engaged, widowed and divorced people. Bill and Pam Farrel also have their original "Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti" book, which is written for married couples, so I thought the single's edition was better for me. I love this book! And it couldn't have come at a better time in my life! :D

Well, classes were scheduled to begin tomorrow, but now they have been canceled since people have had a hard time coming back today. So, I get an extra day. YaY! I'm happy. I'd be happier is my leg wasn't hurting, but like I said earlier, life will go on. :)

Blessings to my readers! :D

high school grades :.: college grades :.: pictures for proof!

2011-01-31T12:02:00.001-05:00

Several documents of my high school days were found the other day. I have decided to make a post about high school grades vs. college grades. Now, I will let you know that my high school grades are embarrassing, so if you don't want to look, I understand. I was embarrassed, but I'm not anymore because, well, that's not me anymore. :)

I'm dedicated to my college courses a lot more than high school. In high school, I was a good student when it came to homework, attendance, etc., but I hardly studied for tests. First of all, I am a bad test-taker, and in high school I didn't see the need to study because I figured text anxiety was going to distract me, anyway. I study now that I'm in college, but I don't jump on the studying right away. I usually get homework done right away, but studying doesn't kick in until later. Anyways, I've definitely improved since high school, and today I'm going to show it.

Oh! I guess I should fill you all in on a few things. The number one thing is: GRADING SCALE. I went to a small country school with its own grading scale. Don't ask. Just read. This was Hillsdale's grading scale:

100-94 - A
93-86 - B
85-76 - C
75-70 - D
69-- - F

I was so relieved at Evangel and MVNU that there IS another grading scale out there. I grew up thinking that a 92% is a B. Thankfully, in the real world, it is an A-. Maybe Hillsdale had this grading scale for students to work harder. Well, that sure didn't motivate me when I was 16 years old. :P

Here we go! A trip back to high school...

The highest Math class I was in was Geometry, taken my senior year of high school. Don't laugh. Math and Science were my worst subjects. Well, we had to keep track of our grades. I got good points for completing this.

Science test. 10th grade. Not good. Now, I know I said that I didn't study, but for Science I actually did study because I knew that was the only thing I was worse at than Math. Well, this test doesn't show. BTW, my handwriting has changed since high school. It was all loop-de-loop in high school, but it has settled down since then.

I took Int. Math 2 my junior year, and that was probably the only Math class in high school that I did well in. So, I got some A's in high school (and of course, I got A's in subjects I was GOOD at). Check it out! :D

Spanish class! I was pretty good in la clase de espanol, actually. My favorite time was celebrating Day of the Dead. :)

I drew this for Art I, but I forget what for, exactly...

I wish Lisa Frank wouldn't have changed their designs. I liked their merchandise when they looked like this.

And now, here are my grades at college.

In high school, we obviously weren't allowed to write in our books since we had to turn them back in at the end of the year. I was happy to know that we kept our books in college. Well, some of us. I have marked most of my books in college. I like how it keeps me focused better. Here's my Psychology book from Evangel.

Annotated Bibliography from World Lit II. :)

Yay, English! A quiz from Tradition and Modern Grammers. :)

Chaucer quiz last year. 80%

Math quiz last year. 8 out of 10. :)

Another Math quiz. 4.5 out of 5. :)

Dean's List! Fall 2010 semester! :D :D

Happy Monday! :D

Home Away from Home! :.: church :.: fun times! :.: pics and video clips

2011-01-23T22:51:00.001-05:00

I love church, especially a church where I can really plug into and get involved. Home Away from Home (the college Sunday school class at Lakeholm) met tonight! It was FUN. I love being part of a church family here in Mt. Vernon. I was wish that I was part of church family when I'm at home. Well, maybe someday that will happen again.

Anyways, as I was saying Home Away from Home met tonight. I always feel better after I go to Steve and Glee's house. I mean, I don't really leave campus much when I'm at school. I love MVNU, but it is nice to get away every now and then. Well, tonight's meeting of Home Away from Home was awesome! We had a lot of Mexican food prepared by Glee, and I played Sardines with some other girls, but there was also Dominoes to play. We also had a devotional, and just being there was a lot of fun.

This is Katie and me dancing to old fashioned music. :)

And here are the photos:

I crimped my hair before the event.

Tracy, Sarah, and Katie getting supper ready (ahh, Katie's blury!). And Sam had just arrived in the background. :)

Katie and me.
I guess I should remind you that two Katie's are in my Sunday school class. :)

Tracy and Sarah.

The compliments of the delicious food we had!

Glee and Grant.
Oh, by the way... if you remember me talking about the Gotcha! game on campus, Grant was who I was after, but I never got him! :P

Katie. hehe.

Lee, Faith and Katie.

Clarissa and Bailey.

Katie. hehe.

Lee and Faith.

Brittany and Nichole... I think. I forget which girl is which. :P

Fireplace! :D

The first group to play Sardines! :)

I had to take a pic of the people playing Dominoes.

Sam and me.
Arrgh, the flash makes us look really, really pale. I know I'm pale to begin with. We tried to get a better pic, but my camera didn't cooperate. :(

Grant.

This reminds me of my dad's old ringtone.

And here we are making bracelets and earrings.
I haven't finished my bracelet. :(
But watch the video clip. :D

Happy Sunday! :)

Saturday! :.: pics and video clip of dorm life! :.: snow = artistic?

2011-01-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Saturday! It was pretty productive for me. I'm really happy about J-term because I got my homework done yesterday. That is the beauty of having one class for the month of January. It's such a nice break from the semester. Anyways, today I cleaned a lot, and I also did a load of laundry. I had just done laundry on Tuesday, but I needed to do it again today. I also went to the fitness center on campus.

I think the first half of my Saturday was productive, and then it turned out to be crazy.

Yes, I love dorm life.

Well, first of all, my roommate got me a bottle of Coke today, which tasted every good. Mmmm. I love Coke products. It seems I'm always surrounded by Pepsi products. Sorry, Pepsi. :P

Well... my roommates are crazy. Haha. Jenn, my roommate, decided to duct tape herself and see what it was like going up and down the stairs. I bet you can see where this is going. Here's Jenn:

But then, going down the stairs didn't go well. She hurt herself... NOT seriously, thank goodness. But she was hoping to just hop downstairs, but that did not happen. So... she's okay, but she just wanted to try something crazy again. Haha. She inspires me to be different. :)

And here's the rest of the pics:

What my face looked like after the duct tape situation.

Brittany promoting her CoSMO group fundraiser.

See?

Nichole and Jenn. Nichole is a very close friend Jenn has met from Pioneer hall.

Oh. Some girls from Galloway hall decided to take time out of their J-term Saturday and draw pictures with their hands in the snow. :D

Here's a snowman.

I wanted to take more, but there was only my cell phone with me. I didn't think to have my digital camera with me. :( Well, at least I had my camera for the above pictures and video clips (ahhh! That reminds me. I still need to test my Bloggie more!). But yeah. These girls had drawn out a pirate ship, the Pac-Man maze, the Mario Bros. mushroom, a pack of Wendy's fries, etc. It was great!

Blessings to my readers

Ladies Ministry night :.: pictures! :.: retreat in 2.5 weeks!! :D

2011-01-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone! I hope that your week started out well. Mine has started out well. Last night I went to a Ladies Ministry get together with Katie and Clarissa, two freshman girls from school. I know Katie pretty well by now, but I still don't know Clarissa very well. Hopefully I will get to know her though.

Well, the Ladies Ministry was very good! A Lakeholm woman shared her testimony and how God used her through her love and talent of quilting. It was neat! I'm not familiar with quilting, but I would like to learn someday. It looks like a phenomenal talent. :)

I deeply admired this woman's testimony. I was a little sad though because she talked about how she went to quilting camp and how she didn't have a roommate, and how God used her in that dorm or camper's room, and how she prayed a lot. I got to thinking about my sophomore year of college when I was at Evangel. When I had my room at the end of the hallway, I felt really lonely, and I didn't really appreciate it. I strongly disliked it, and I could've used that time to pray and spend alone time with the Lord instead of crying how I didn't have a roommate to talk to. Because sophomore year was a tough year, and I could've transformed it on my own.

Oh, those shoulda, coulda, woulda moments. Well anyway, I enjoyed this woman's testimony. Here are pictures from the meeting last night:

Clarissa, Katie, me

Clarissa, Katie, me

In 2.5 weeks I am going on a Ladies' Ministry retreat. It's for one night, and it sounds really cool. I've already made my payment for the retreat. Katie and I are planning on going, and I'm not sure who else is coming for the retreat so far. And it's nice because the retreat will be that first weekend into spring semester. :)

Blessings to my readers!

Photos! :.: Photos! :.: Photos! :.: :D

2011-01-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone! I apologize for getting these pics on my blog late. The pictures are already on facebook, but I wanted to upload them onto my blog as well. Besides, what is a blog without photos? :)

So, this entry is going to be all photos, labels, and captions. I hope to write more entries soon. This is J-term. This is a time where I could be posting a lot of entries. Haha.

Happy Saturday! :D

Well, first of all, here is what our campus looks like right now. I took these pics yesterday:

Shortly after I arrived back on campus, I did some rearranging of my dorm room. I'm liking it a lot so far. Here's the pics. Yeah, I'm thinking about changing what I hang up. I usually hang up letters, cards, etc. when I'm at school, but I'm thinking of either changing that or different things do that. I'll think of something! :D

But I love my new set-up, and I'm getting used to my bed put at that height (yes, I raised it).

Obviously, I like movies and photo booths.

Now here's a story literally on my desk! Obviously the mug is from Cedar Point.
The orange vase is from Evangel when I was involved in arts and crafts.
I love to fly, and there's a little AirTran Airways toy there.
That purple thing behind the plane is just a glass. I like water.
Oh, the project I made last year during the Lent season! I plan on using that project again this year. :)
Sea shell! (Shhh... it's actually from Wal-Mart in Mount Vernon ;).)
That itty bit purple carousel I got in high school.
You can see a carousel horse next to it.
That snow globe is Cedar Point! Weeee! I worked there, you know. :D
That canned moose is when I visited my friend Chelsea in Colorado.
And the green piggy bank is from MVNU.
Whew!! I like all of these things on my desk.
Oh, and those are my necklaces in the background.

:)

A balloon that Academic Support (where I work on campus) gave me. The butterfly wings are from a costume party I was going to attend last semester, but it was canceled. And I have my Winnie the Pooh calendar.

The printer on my desk just wasn't a good idea. I like it higher up so that I actually have "thinking space".

Yes, I still love stuffed animals. I have a lot more at home.

This is a sign I made. A couple of my roommates actually asked me to make copies, so I felt honored for that. :)

J-term has started! :.: cold weather :.: Gotcha! :.: church

2011-01-10T21:16:00.001-05:00

Wow. I cannot believe a full week has passed since I have made my last post in here. The days are moving quickly! Well, the residence halls on campus opened last Tuesday, and J-term has begun. In case my readers don't remember that that is from last year, J-term is more of a rest period at MVNU. It's where you take one class, and this class meets everday Monday through Friday for three weeks.

It's a pretty nifty time. I took Intro to Philosophy last year.

This year, I am taking: History of Modern Russia (HOMR)

I'm liking it a lot so far! It's very interesting. I love how I am learning so much at once about the Russian culture, and I entered the class on Wednesday with pretty much no knowledge of what Russia is like. For HOMR, we are reading "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov. It's a novel with a crazy and confusing plot. hehe. I want a talking black cat now! :D

Well, there's really not much more to say about HOMR at the moment. I'm just happy that it's J-term, and I'm hopefully going to be getting more blog posts in with the lighter class load. Spring semester doesn't start until February, so that's a little bit of time. I hope not to take too much advantage of the time. Or...take the time for granted, I mean. It will eventually run out. hehe.

Oh! Real quick... I called my parents on Friday, and I heard that I made the Dean's List for Fall 2010 semester! Yes! I love being a 3.5 student. It's not perfect, but it's really good! I have now made the Dean's List at Evangel and MVNU. <3

I am very happy to be back to church! As I've mentioned in here before, I attend Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene when I am at school. I'm involved with the college Sunday school class, Home Away from Home. I love my church! We're still in the process of finding a new pastor, but I really like how Lakeholm is taking their time. They can take all the time they need. To be honest, I've been in churches that rush new pastors in after the previous one... and yeah, the results weren't always good. I like how they're taking their time, praying, etc.

We've had really, really cold weather lately! There's snow on the ground. Not much snow has fallen recently, so that's good I guess. We have a little break. hehe.

Well, there is a game going on campus right now called Gotcha!. It's an annual tradition at MVNU in January, and pretty much you're given a water gun and someone to shoot. I have someone to shoot. Well, actually... I had to request a new person. Because the first guy I had, I heard what class he was taking during J-term, and that class is in Washington D.C. right now. Oh, no! That is not fair! Haha. I contacted the sophomore class president, and the guy has been removed. I've been given a new guy. I feel weird for transferring in last year. I'm not really sure who my guy is. I've seen him on Facebook, but that's about it. Oh, and I looked up where he lives on campus. That's about it.

I'm not sure who's looking for me. hehe. I've heard people have found out who their hunters are, but no one has found mine out. I'm safe for now!

Well, I will have a lot of pictures and maybe a video clip or something in my next post. Sorry. I know all text posts are boring. :(

Have a blessed Monday night!

poem :.: need to clean and pack! :.: leaving tomorrow :.: great break. :)

2011-01-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that this is my last full day at home. I leave for MVNU tomorrow! Christmas break went by so quickly! Usually I get sad at this point, but this year I am not doing so bad. So far. hehe.

Well, I decided to post a poem that I've been working on this past week. I'm still working with it. I haven't written poetry for a very long time. I don't consider myself strong in that area, but I would like to be a good poet. :)

Your Love

From the top of the mountain to the
Pits of the sea, Your love is open for me.
From the turning of the keys to the car
To the landing of the plane, Your love is never far.
From the fresh box of crayons to the
Last ink of the pen, Your love is written for me.
From the flame of the smallest candle
To the ashes of a fire, it is Your love I handle.
From the decorative scarf on the neck to the
Heaviest winter coat, Your love covers me.
From the loved one's warm greeting
To the final goodbye, Your love is welcoming.
From the purr of the kitten to the
Roar of the lion, Your love protects me.
From the rising of the golden sun
To the setting, Your love I have won.

Hmmm. I'm still working on this poem. I could probably work on the length on the lines, for they are awkward. At first I thought this poem would rhyme well, but for some reason, I'm thinking the rhyme takes away from it. I'm wondering if I should shorten it or add to it. Well, no matter... this is my first writing of the year, and one of my resolutions is to write more, so we'll see how this goes.

Well, I need to pack and clean my room. I've been saying for days. I'm finally going to get to it today. I NEED to get to it today. Yes, I'm starting the process of changing my room from a teenager room to a young adult room. I woke up the other morning, and I decided to start this process. I took my lava lamps and such out. I started moving things around. Eventually, I would like to paint my room a different color. Right now, I'm thinking of an orange-red. :) And...I want to rearrange my bed, dresser, etc. Ahhh! It's been the same set-up since my sophomore year of high school, and I want to change it! Haha.

Blessings to my readers!

New Year 2011! :.: resolutions :.: looking forward

2011-01-01T12:26:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to my readers! Welcome to 2011.

I am counting on this being a great year, and I love this new blog template I have chosen for January! Good job the one who made it! You have a talent for creativity. And what I love about this template is that it has nothing to do with winter, yet it still fits in with this month.

This is a good day to talk about my resolutions for 2011. Yes, I know what many people think about them; many people think that resolutions are tired, stupid and overrated. However, I do not care what people think about resolutions. I like making them because I actually stick to most of mine. I like resolutions, and I encourage anyone who thinks they're stupid to make at least one this year. Seriously. When I was in elementary school, I didn't think that goals mattered, but they do matter. :)

Well, for 2010 I posted my resolutions on January 4th, August 24th, and December 20th. I think I want to continue that format this year. So, I will post my resolutions today and talk about them. Then, about halfway through the year and the end of the year, I will post them again to see my progress.

My 2011 goals are...

1. Read and write more
2. Fit exercising into my schedule more / Run 1 mile
3. Stop nail biting
4. Find a new hairstyle
5. Get organized
6. Finish college with around 3.5 GPA
7. ____________________________________

1. Read and write more
This was actually the primary goal I made in 2010, but I didn't do well, so I'd like to try again in 2011. :)
I think reading/writing are very important, and considering I am English major, I think fitting reading and writing more outside of class is important. I have a lot of books that I wanted to read last year, but I didn't get to them. So, I will try them this year, as well as trying to read other books. This also includes fitting devotional/prayer time into my schedule more. As an English major, I consider reading and writing acts of worship to God, for He gave me those abilities. :)

2. Fit exercising into my schedule more / Run 1 mile
I have gotten back into exercising this past year, which is great! I love to exercise; however, I have slacked off within these past few months. Well, at school I usually get to be so busy with classes, and I want to work on balancing classes and exercising.
Okay... I admit it. I cannot run 1 mile without stopping. When I'm on the treadmill at school, I rotate between running and walking. Although that's good exercise, I would like to leave this world with the ability to run 1 mile. So, while I'm trying to fit walking, running and abs exercises back into my schedule, I would like to work on that mile. :)

3. Stop nail biting
Here's another confession from me... I started biting my nails when I was really little, and I have not stopped. I've never had beautiful nails to flaunt or even to have for special occassions. But I would like to finally work on this.
I am 23 years old, and I say I can have fingernails.
I've tried everything: keeping my nails painted, wearing gloves, distracting myself, punishing myself, having people to tell me to stop, and the excuses go on and on.
I need willpower.
I just need to look at my nails and say, "Nooo!" when I feel the urge to bite.
I look forward to the day where I actually have fingernails. I just took these pics a half hour ago. Wish me luck!

4. Find a new temporary hairstyle
I definitely want to work on this one this year! Ugh. I want to experiment with my hair. I'm in college! :D
I've had perms, crimps & curls, haircuts of the same style, and recently a temporary hair dye that's a little darker than my natural shade... but I've pretty much had the same hairstyle for years. Growing it to be a little past shoulder length and then cutting it to be chin length.
Ahhhhhh!
Now, I don't want to go overboard. I want to be respectful; it is my hair. I want something different than I've ever done, yet still "me" and admirable. And like I said, I am in college. This is the time when I should do something fun with hair. :)

5. Get organized
I am horrible with organization! My bedroom at home has been a mess for longer than I can remember. I'm always losing things. I put things where they shouldn't be. *sigh*
Long story short... I'm going to get organized in 2011.
I would post pictures, but I'm too embarrassed. Believe me, readers, you don't want to see my bedroom right now. I'm good with making my bed every day, but other than that, I fail. I'm better at keeping my side of the dorm room at school picked up than my room at home, and that's saying something! Usually it's the opposite for college students.

6. Finish college with around 3.5 GPA
Well, I am a senior in college! I am planning to finish in the summer, and walk in the December ceremony at MVNU. I was hoping to finish in the spring, but that's okay. I'm still planning to finish within this year.
Class of 2011! :D
I've tried to be 4.0 student. I've tried every semester since my freshman year, and I've never made it, unless you count J-term at MVNU where I've taken one class and got an A-. The closest I've come to 4.0 is 3.75, but I usually am around 3.5.
I'm a B average student. That's still good! I work hard. I study. I do my homework. I try my hardest, and even though I've never experienced straight A's, I'm happy that I have passed my classes so far. School is tough. And my parents are happy with my grades. They've never pressured me to do any better.
So, my goal is to stay around 3.5 and don't go lower than 3.0. As I've mentioned before, 3.0 was my high school GPA.
And I'm thankful for the opportunity to go to college! I'm happy it's my senior year though and that I'm finishing up. I'm not sure what the future will hold, but I'm happy to safe in college right now. :)
Here's my grade report from the fall 2010 semester:

7. ____________________________________
This resolution is between God, me and _____________. :)

Best wishes to everyone as we dive into 2011! Hopefully I have the right equipment. ;)

Bloggie + Wii = life is good! :.: snow :.: my bday is tomorrow! :.: loving break

2010-12-28T15:50:00.000-05:00

:)

I got a Bloggie for Christmas! A Bloggie is a small digital recording device. It's like the newest video camera out there. I'm pretty psyched right now because I'm in a Wi-Fi area in Ashland, updating my laptop. The Bloggie won't really work on my computer, BUT it still uploads the video clips, which means I can still upload them onto my blog. Which is good, considering I want to use my blog to share my videos. So, now I have my digital camera and this Bloggie for video clips. The Bloggie program doesn't work directly on my computer.

YaY! I made that video clip on Christmas night. I feel weird for just making a "testing" video clip. hehe. I should have filmed something different. Hmmm. I can see the quality of the Bloggie is a little different than my digital camera. But it's still decent quality. Well, now I have both devices; I love adding the occasional video clip to my blog, as well as pics. hehe.

My parents and I now have a Wii in the house! YaY! We started playing it last night. We have the Wii Sports, Wii Sport Resorts, and Super Mario Brothers games for now. I've only played some bowling, baseball, tennis, and dog frisbee so far. I'm looking forward to playing more before I go back to college, and also playing during breaks. I can see what people are talking about when they say how fun the Wii is. hehe. :)

We still have snow on the ground here, but that's okay. I'm just thankful that we haven't been completely plastered, like what's been shown on the news. I just took a photo with my cell phone, and here's what the snow looks like right now for us:

I am really enjoying break! It's going really fast though. I can't believe that I only have a week of it left. But... I don't need to think about that now. :)

Tomorrow is my birthday! I will be 23 years old in a matter of hours. <3

Blessings to my readers. Have a wonderful Tuesday evening! :D

curling iron :.: learning :.: pictures

2010-12-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone!

Last week I bought myself a Conair curling iron, and I have attempted to use it within the past hour. :)

Here is the curling iron:

And here are the pictures of my hair. Please don't laugh. I know it doesn't look the best, but it was my first time curling almost my entire hair. As much as I'm embarrassed to admit, I have little experience with curling irons. I'm really good with crimpers and curlers... but not curling irons. hehe.

My mom was nice to show me one way to use a curling iron, but I gave up and decided to style my hair in other ways. I refused to use curling iron for years. hehe. But now I've grown up, and I've decided to try again. I now have a crimper, a waver, foam curlers, and a curling iron in my collection of hair styling products. :)

Well, again, please do not laugh:

I shall practice some more as the days go by, hoping to improve my curling skills. :)

Now, tonight I curled my hair and then brushed my hair to relax the curls a little bit. I should've probably not brushed the curls. Hmmm. I'll look into that and see how that works.

Yeah, it's nice to learn something as simple as hairstyles. I like to learn new things, even during Christmas break while my brain is taking a break from academics. So, in addition to what I will be learning in school this next J-term, semester, and summer session, I will be learning different ways to style my hair.

Blessings to my readers! <3

Merry Christmas! :.: 200th post :.: family time! :.: pictures

2010-12-25T22:16:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! My hope is that everyone had a wonderful day today! I hope you all had loved ones to be with, or something to occupy your time today. Also, I hope for each of you that today was a reminder of the birth and first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

appy Birthday, Jesus! I love you. :)

Well, my Christmas was wonderful. Everything was very nice! Last night, my parents & I went out for our celebration Christmas Eve meal, and we eventually had our devotion and communion time before bed time. This morning, we woke up around 6:30 a.m. to open presents. We ate breakfast, and then we visited my grandparents, and relatives on my dad's side were there as well.

From my parents, I got:
- Some colorful socks and toe socks.
- A blender
- A new mp3 player
- A bloggie (a small video recording device)
- How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
- The Toy Story 3 DVD (which I still haven't seen!)
- A new laundry bag
- A new wallet

From my grandparents, I got:
- $25
- $5 for my birthday (four more days!)

It was great! :D

And then for my parents, I bought them:

- The game of Mousetrap
- Coffee mugs
- A 2011 laborador puppies calendar
- Slippers for my mom
- A miniature, mini-gulf stocking stuffer game for my dad

Hehe. I am excited that Christmas was today! I'm relieved that the busyness of it will die down from today. However, I'm also sad that it's almost over. I love Christmas! But it's what my parents and I were talking about today... Christmas is nice to visit, but we couldn't live there all the time. hehe. :)

Well, I've already posted several pics on Facebook, but I thought I'd post pics in here for my readers to get a taste of what my family's Christmas's are like. hehe.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!

Mom with the slippers I gave her.

Dad with the game I gave him.

Me with the Dr. Seuss books my parents gave me. :)

Ben, grandpa in the background, Chris, Jonathan, Jenn, and aunt Linda. Ben and Jenn are married. Jonathan, Chris, and Ben are brothers.

My grandparents opening their presents. hehe.

It didn't work out for everyone to be in the group photo this time, but this was the nicest one of the bunch. Grandma, grandpa, Chris, Ben & Jen, Jonathan, and Aunt Linda & Uncle Dean And that was my Christmas this year!

It was beautiful.

Before I end for tonight, I would like to announce the fact that this is my 200th post! YaY! You know, I'm really glad that I started blogging about a year and a half ago. It's a neat way to keep others informed, gain writing experience, and just to have fun! I love my blog. I'm planning on keeping it going for as long as possible!

Blessings to my readers! <3

Sometimes, it is just that simple. :)

2010-12-22T11:26:00.003-05:00

One thing I learned in 2010 is that I have a tendency to make the simple things complicated! hehe. It is true though. When I worked at Perkins at Cedar Point, I remember I was being shown how to make a milkshake. I get nervous easily, and for some reason, I freaked out in the kitchen because I had customers order milkshakes, and I had no idea how to make a milkshake!

So, another server showed me how to make one, and I learned that it wasn't that hard. You just put a little bit of milk in a metal cup, four scoops of ice cream, and the syrup needed for the flavor. That's all. hehe. So, the server made the first one for me, and I made the other two. It's funny how I calmed down when I saw and learned how to make a milkshake, then.

Also, I remember that server saying, "You know what, Rebecca? You think too much."

Ahhh! It's true, especially the simple task of making a milkshake.

I believe one of my goals for 2011 will be not to panic so easily, especially on things that do not require chaos. Sometimes, life is just that simple. Now, I know that life can be complicated. Very complicated. I am going to be 23 yrs. old next week, and I'm facing situations right now that need figured out. However, that is okay. It's the simple things that don't require panicking.

Hehe.

I was channel surfing yesterday, and I came across Arthur on PBS Kids. Yes, I watched Arthur yesterday. Don't laugh! I don't care if I'm too old for it! :P

Well, Arthur and Buster were reading riddles to each other.

Buster: What did the banana say to the hippo?
Arthur: (pause) I don't know.
Buster: Nothing. Bananas don't talk.

Hahahaha! I was actually expecting the banana to say something!

Sometimes, it is just that simple. :)

a look at 2010 resolutions :.: thinking about 2011

2010-12-20T17:19:00.000-05:00

Well, we are approaching the closing of another year! 2010.

'Twas a year of ups and downs. It seems that there was a lot of tragedy, especially in Mount Vernon and for MVNU. But I know tragedy exists everywhere. I, myself, have experienced tragedy this year. I don't wish to go into detail about some of it, but I will admit that this year has been of learning for me!

If there's anything I've learned this year, it's that I learned from... life and its happenings!

Well, just as I promised my readers... I posted these resolutions in January, again around halfway through the year, and now I'm going to post them once more in December 2010 and talk about how I did! And I promise to be honest! :D

1. Read and write more
This one didn't turn out well! :(
I read and wrote for school and for homework, but I fell way behind in recreational reading and also some journaling. I did journal more than read, though... but I've needed to journal this year. It's been important to write things down whenever possible.
I'm not going to lie... the only books I read outside of school this year were:
- The Diary of Anne Frank
- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares (only the first book)
- Loved, Stories of Forgiveness, edited by Rebecca St. James (actually, I only read HALF of this one!)
- A little bit of Psalms for my devotionals.
- Some of Galatians and Ephesians for devotions.
So yeah. I didn't get much reading in as I wanted to, but I would like to consider keeping this goal for 2011. Reading is important. After all, I am an English major.
I did fill up one journal this semester! :D
I love to journal, and although I got really busy and didn't write in my journal as much as I wanted to, I still got to write entries when I needed to, and writing is just as important as reading. :)

2. Do some more walking, working back up to exercising again.
I did good with this! I got back into exercising this year. However, I got really busy at the end of the semester, and I've slacked off these past few weeks, but the important thing is that I did exercise this year, and it was really good. I want to find ways to work exercising better into my schedule in 2011. :)

3. Think and pray about Lent, or something to fast this year.
I loved participating in Lent for the first time this year! Growing up, I was taught from many people that Lent is a holiday that only Catholics observe. However, when I transferred to MVNU, I learned that Catholics and Christians celebrate and honor Lent by remember Jesus' sacrifice and what Resurrection Sunday is.
I fasted Facebook and Youtube for the Lent season, and it was neat to experience it! I'm planning to participate in Lent again in 2011. I'm not sure whether to fast the same area in 2011, or to think about fasting some kind of food. I'll be praying about it. :)
I really enjoyed the Ash Wednesday service at MVNU. It was the first one I'd ever been to.

4. Pray about what God wants for me this summer.
This was for a job in the summer. I got hired at worked at Cedar Point, which is the amusement in Ohio. I stayed in the dorms at Hotel Breakers, and I had two roommates from Florida. It was a neat experience! I worked at Perkins and Beaches n' Cream inside the hotel. I'm so thankful for the job experience.
The summer was a huge learning experience! I really learned a lot. I even learned that I'm an adult, and being an adult requires beng very careful with how decisions are made. I learned more about responsibility this summer, and I learned that it's very important to be wise in decision-making, and don't let anybody or anything tell you otherwise! Hold tight to what YOU believe.
I'm not sure if I'll be returning to Cedar Point. I know it's a seasonal job, and if I'm finishing college this summer, I would like to look at places that are open all year, whereas CP closes at the end of October. So, we'll see. I need to pray about this. I'm hoping for something that's open all year though, just to have that option.

5. Practice a dance special for Jesus (even if I don't perform it!), and get back into dancing.
I have done some worship dancing on my own, but I didn't prepare a dance special or anything. Maybe someday though. But I love worship dancing. I miss being part of a worship dance team at church. I hope to have something like that again. :)

6. Keep GPA near where I'm at now, which is 3.5, and don't go below 3.0.
I did well with this!! In J-term 2010, I got an A in Philosophy. In spring semester, I got 1 A and 4 B+'s. And in the fall 2010 semester, I got 3 A's and 2 B's.
I believe my GPA is still around 3.5. :)
And I have not gone below 3.0 since high school. Yeah! I've never been 4.0, and although I've tried to be a 4.0 student, I usually end up being around 3.5. But that's still a B average. :)

7. Do not go back.
I need to work on this! I find myself still talking about certain situations, still pondering certain things, etc. I also find myself in disappointment and regret about certain decisions I made. I find fault in myself. Noooo! I need to improve. What's done is done. What has happened has happened. Each day is a new start. I can improve. I can move forward! I start looking forward NOW!!

Well, there you have it... my 2010 resolutions!

Blessings to my readers! <3

grades! :.: winter weather :.: 10 more days until Christmas!

2010-12-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

I have officially received my grades for the fall 2010 semester!

Shakespeare - B
Basic Writing for Print Media - A-
Senior Colloquium - A-
Literary Criticism an Theory - B+
Advanced Journalism Practicum - A

Yeah! I'm happy, and I have reached my 2010 goal of staying around 3.5 GPA.

YaY.

Not much else to write about. Just that we have winter weather, and according to the calendar, the first day of winter doesn't come for another six days, and we've down into the teens as far as temperature goes. Brrrr.

10 more days until Christmas! <3