Everyone Should Volunteer!

My coworkers swinging after the pick-up!

One awesome thing about my job is the volunteering. Every time five employees volunteer for three hours at an event $500 dollars goes to the charity/fundraiser that is taking place. Tonight, we were able to raise $1500 dollars for the girl scouts. Not only that, but the park we were at is now free of garbage! This makes me especially happy because my best friend and I bring her dog there all the time and it’s nice to see it cleaned up.

I think most people forget how fun volunteering can actually be… even me. Tonight after the clean up we barbecued and played on the playground equipment. It reminded me of my childhood as I jumped off the swing and slid down the very small slide. I even made new memories that I will share with my friends and co-workers. Overall, it was a successful night and I loved it.

My conclusion to this is that more people should volunteer! Even as I write this, I realize I need to take my own advice because volunteering is fun and you can make knew friendships and find new hobbies out of it! I’s easy and the joy you get out of it is awesome!

 

 

 

Overwhelmed

I’m usually really good at being in high intense situations. Working retail for example. I can usually handle 5 people wanting my attention at once while ringing up a customer while also being on the phone. That is what a normal day is like. But today I could NOT handle it.

The first two hours of my shift were the worst two hours I have ever had to work. People who have been working there longer than I have were asking me the simplest questions. Not only that but they were when I was with a customer. Hello? Open your eyes…. the customer always comes first. Plus you have been working here how long? Do it yourself or ask someone who isn’t busy.

Now I know I am one of the main people to come to when someone has a question because I know the entire store but sometimes people need to be able to figure things out for themselves. I was to the point when I went on break I was almost in tears. If anyone knows me at all they know I DON’T cry…. it was that bad. One of the Area Supervisors was in the same boat as well. She never cries and was in tears when she left.

Thankfully, it got a little better by the end of the night when I lightened up a bit. I’m just glad I didn’t have to deal with cranky customers especially since it is so busy with Easter coming up.

Well that’s all I have to complain about right now. Until next time!

A Rant About Driving And Manners

Begin rant…..

Why is it when people drive through parking lots they forget how to drive at all? I have been bored all day and decided I should run to Target to waste some time. Everything was fine and dandy until I drove into the parking lot. The second my wheels touch the pavement someone almost hit me. Like really people watch were you’re going!

First off, it is a parking lot so you should slow down because any second a child might run out. Second, it isn’t going to hurt if you have to walk a few more feet because you had to park further out. So stop speeding around trying to find a better spot! Third, there are actual lanes to drive in! Just because it’s a lot doesn’t mean you need drive your way through the parked cars.

Also, why does everyone forget their manners? Wait for the car to drive by and then walk out. Don’t assume the car is going to see you and step out in front of it. If you do decide to step in front of a car, walk at a fairly fast pace. Don’t take your sweet time across because I could have driven home by the time you make it to your car. Also don’t walk in the middle of a lane. Step to the side so cars can drive past you.

Not only do people forget their manners in the parking lot but in the store too. How are you not aware of me standing a few feet away from you? At least say sorry when you hit me with your cart. Or if you see me heading to look at a product don’t walk in front of me and then take your time looking around. It was obvious I had a good stride going and now you are blocking my way. That’s called being rude. Seriously, have some awareness and respect toward other shoppers. It makes life a little easier if you do.

I realize I might do these exact same things to other people without knowing it but at least I say sorry or excuse me when I do finally realize. Sorry about the rant but it was bothering me all day. This happened at several stores I went to and it just drives me bonkers.

End rant.

 

This Is Our House

My roommates and I have been living together for the past two years. None of us knew each other prior to moving in. Lucky for us, everything worked out great. One of them even turned out to be my best friend (not saying the other isn’t great too but we have more things in common). We each have our own busy schedules so we aren’t home too much with each other. This leaves the house clean and empty most of the time.

My one roommate Rochell is the mom of the house. She takes care of the bills, cleans when she gets nervous, and makes sure everything is running smoothly while working 60 hours a week. She doesn’t have a lot of friends which is understandable when you work so much but at the same time she likes being by herself. She likes to lock herself in her room and not come out for hours. Even when people are over she doesn’t socialize. I know everyone is different when it comes to groups but sometimes I wish she would let loose and have some fun.

Becca, on the other hand, works two jobs while going to school. Like Rochell she doesn’t have very many friends but makes the most out of the ones she has. She is super smart and really nerdy (too the extreme- she just turned 24 and had a Harry Potter birthday party). She loves to read…. a lot. Try three to five novels a day. Becca is also the clumsiest person I have ever meet. The other day she fell while she was walking and somehow managed to scrap both sides of her hands… how does that even happen? She is loud, runs into everything within a three foot radius, and drops anything she is holding.

Then there’s me. I’m not going to spend too much time talking about myself because every post is about me in some way or another. But I do have a lot of friends who I have over pretty often. I’m a little OCD in that I have to have certain objects in certain places or else I go crazy. I always like our house to be nice and clean but have a relaxed personality at the same time. The most important is that I stay calm in hectic situations.

Even though we are all different we seem to manage living together. But this this comes the price. The curse of 510. At least this is our excuse as to why things happen in our house.

The curse includes us breaking things all the time. The other day a bottle of grenadine magically fell off the fridge and covered every white surface in the kitchen making it turn to a bright red. I thought I had cleaned all of it but the next day managed to find it on the ceiling. Rochell being taller than me went to clean it off. Somehow the glass dome covering the kitchen light came crashing down scattering everywhere. Of course, Rochell was wearing sandals and of course, 90 percent of the glass shards made their way into her shoes. That whole mess was fun to clean up. About 80 percent of our glassware has been broken…. we have now switched to plastic kids cups.
Not only that but weird people are always showing up at our door. One night, I about had a hard attack as I was sitting on our porch. I thought I had heard a noise to my left but when I saw nothing I looked back to my right. There a man had stood between me and the door to the house. His eyes were wide and dark as he stared at me.

He held is hand out ,”My spoon broke eating my ice cream.”
“Okay,” was all I could get out.
“Do you have another one?” He asked me still holding out his hand.
“No, but there is Wendy’s two blocks down and they could get you one,” I said in hopes that he would leave.
“Okay, thanks,” He handed me his broken plastic spoon. Once he was off the porch I darted inside locking the door behind me. In my hand laid three broken pieces that would fit together to make a spoon. My hand was sticky from the melting ice cream. I threw away the broken spoon thinking about what occurred. I realized when the man had talked to me he held nothing else but the spoon. So where did the ice cream go and if he didn’t have any ice cream why would he need another spoon. That night I didn’t sleep every good.

The worst of the curse is the boy situation. Apparently if you live in our house you are never allowed to have a boyfriend. Ever since we have moved in none of us have had any luck finding a guy.

All in all, this is our house and we are stuck with it. The good and the bad (more like creepy but I’ll stick with the phrase for now). We don’t plan on leaving anytime soon which is fine by me because we all love living here.

Window Pain

Throughout our lives we have plenty of embarrassing moments. Some define us, some make for a good story, and others make us wish we were never born. I have had a mix of all of these. As I have gotten older, I have been able to laugh them off more than I used too proving to myself and others we can move on with our lives because that moment was only a spec in time.

But I will always remember the first time being embarrassed.

It was a nice summer day and I was spending it with my mom and her best friend. It was fun at first but an 8 year can only last so long. We were stopping by what seemed like the 100th store of the day and their constant jabbering had not wavered since meeting up earlier in the day. From the talking, to driving, to looking through all the different stores I had acquired a headache.
I knew my mom wouldn’t leave me in the car because it was too hot out and she wouldn’t let her 8 year old wander within the store where she could potential get lost or stolen. So I asked if she would hold my hand while I closed my eyes in hopes the headache would disappear.

“Sure, honey,” is all she said as she took mine in hers. After what seemed like an eternity, I could hear my mom and her friend talking to the cashier. Thank goodness, because I was really tired and I knew this was the last stop. I could finally go home and take a nap. With my eyes still closed, my mom dragged me with her as we continued on our way.

WHAM! The next thing I knew my eyes flew open and my head was throbbing worse than it was before. I grabbed my head and looked up to see what had happened. My mom had tried walking out the right side of double doors. I just happened to be holding her left hand meaning my mom ran me into the other glass door!

All of a sudden laughter erupted. My mom and her friend could hardly contain themselves. Other people in the store were also laughing as they witnessed the event. I stormed into the parking lot as my mom and her friend’s laughter followed me.

My mom could barley get out the words as she climbed into the driver’s seat, “I’m sorry, I forgot your eyes were closed.” I didn’t say a single word the whole car ride back as they still continued to laugh.

Now, I look back and laugh at what happened. At the time, I didn’t think it was very funny as embarrassment wash over me but now I think it’s hilarious. Every time I tell the story I die of laughter and tears stream down my face as I relive the moment.

Just remember, parents try to lead their kids in the right direction….. sometimes they run them into doors. It happens.

Finding The Perfect Prince Charming

Every little girl wants to have the perfect prince charming come and sweep them off their feet. I was never like that. Instead, I was the tom boy playing football with the boys. Even as I grew older, I never had any intention of dating. I found it stupid and childish. What is the point of dating if you are only going to date for two weeks? I mean, I had my crushes and flirting down to a T but overall I never really let it go anywhere because I knew nothing good would come of it.

Now that I’m in my early twenties and ready to graduate I thought it was time to get out of the old mind-set and start looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with. It just happened one night my roommate and I started talking about the perfect boyfriend. Of course everyone one wants them to be funny and have a good looks but what about other qualities. Instead of describing our own dream guy, I described a guy I saw my roommate with and she did the same for me.

People see you differently than you see yourself so I figured this would be a good activity. Let me just say I was surprised in who she described for me. She pictured me with a guy who is patient, creative, adventurous, confident, kind, has a smaller family, a handy man, able to let his inner child out every once in a while, and most of all can cook.

Some of these qualities had me wondering. She went on to explain. Patient in taking the relationship slowly especially because I don’t like jumping into things. Creative because she finds me thinking outside the box and would like the guy to do the same. I’m not the most adventurous person there is, so someone who can push me to explore and do things I haven’t done before would be good for me.

He has to be confident to take the lead in unfamiliar situations. I am getting better at it but going to a place with people I don’t know sort of scares me so if he can take the lead it wouldn’t make me as nervous (my roommate knows me pretty well…just saying). He has to be kind not to only me, but my friends. I love hanging out with my friends and even if he doesn’t like them he still needs to be kind.

I’m an only child and am not too much into family. Nothing is wrong with family but it would be nice if he had the same feelings. I don’t mind seeing the parents every once in a while but otherwise I do my own thing. Not only that but I have known since I was six that I don’t want children so he has to be willing to not have any.

The guy also has to be able to fix whatever might be broken. I’m perfectly fine at fixing things but it would be nice if he could just do it so I don’t have to. My roommate knows I love to have fun so if he could let loose without going to crazy or being immature we could have a lot of fun nights. Last and probably most important… cooking is a must. I am not allowed in our kitchen because of reasons that are not going to be discussed so if he could cook that would be awesome.

Once she explained these qualities I realized that it was true. I needed someone with these qualities. I would have never thought of them if she hadn’t pointed them out (I always imagined marrying Zac Efron… because that was going to happen). Notice none of these had to do with how he looked or if he was a millionaire. I think most people forget to look past these physical attributes. But my roommate knows that I don’t care about those things. Instead, I want to be best friends and love each other for who we are. And that right there is my perfect prince charming.

 

 

 

You’re That Type of Person: A List Of Customers You Meet While Working Retail

I have been working retail for about a year and a half now. I love my job and the people I work with. In working there, I have learned a lot of things such as the customer isn’t always right, customers are rude no matter how nice to them you are, and that people think it’s okay to throw merchandise everywhere. I’ve learned/seen many good things as well but sometimes the negative sticks out more than the positive.

Anyways, here’s a list of customers you might come across while working at a retail store.

1. Couponer– They only shop if they have a coupon and if they don’t they ask for one. For the hundredth time I don’t have a coupon for you!

2. Save Every Penny– At the register they are making sure ever item rings up correctly. If it’s off by one penny they make an employee go check the price… twice, because they don’t believe them the first time.

3. Dedicated Customers– They’re in the store two to three times a week, know everyone by name, and don’t blink an eye when things aren’t running smoothly. Because of you, I get a paycheck and enjoy my job while you are there. So thank you for making my life easier.

4. Have You Seen My Children?– These are parents that let their children run around everywhere and don’t take into consideration other customers around them. Of course they give the kids everything they ask for while shopping even though they were just destroying the displays not even two seconds ago. But they wouldn’t know that would they? It’s called discipline people!

5. Three Hours Later– People who spend a copious amount of time in the store at once to only buy one item. What were you doing that entire time?

6. Can You Help Me?– Now there isn’t anything wrong with asking for help but when it’s every two seconds it gets annoying. We have other customers to deal with other than you. Sorry, I don’t know if your aunt is going to like that shirt. I don’t know if those pants will fit you… maybe you should try them on.

7. I Got Away With It- We can see you! You can’t get away with stealing from us. We have over one hundred cameras and can hear you whispering in the fitting rooms about stealing. Nice try though.

8. Change Anyone?– Have you ever seen someone pay for $22.36 worth of items all in change….. because I have! That’s always fun to try and count out.

9. The Cellphone User– They talk on their phone the entire time you are checking them out. Um, you’re welcome. My day is going fine too.

10. The Talker– These customers won’t go away even when you tell them that you have to help someone else. By the time they leave you have heard their entire life story…twice. I have a job to do and can’t hear about how you went to a three year old’s birthday today.

11. Silence Is A Virtue– They have absolutely nothing to say to you… not even a hello. The silence makes for an awkward checkout especially when they won’t stop staring at you.

12. Clearancer– The people somehow manage to fill three carts full of clearance clothes and still only have to pay $50. I once took part in a lady saving $3,442 while only spending $146. It was pretty amazing.

13. The Returner– These customers bring back everything they had purchased. Then they get mad when I can’t give them as much money back because they lost their receipt. It isn’t my fault you didn’t keep it in a safe place.

14. Where’s The Bathroom?– I have at least 5 to 10 people ask me this during a shift. You see that big sign that says Restroom? Follow that.

15. Purse Digger– They dig in their massive purses trying to find their credit cards. Why didn’t you get that out while you were in line instead of pouring your contents on the register and making people wait longer? Excuse me while I read this entire book while you look for that.

16. Line Cutter– These people think it’s okay to pass the people who have been waiting in line because they only have one small question. I will get to you once I have helped these people who have been patiently waiting because the world doesn’t revolve around you.

These are just some of the major customers I run into while at work. Sorry if some of these sounded like I was complaining because I really do like working retail. There are some really nice customers out there that are understanding as well as entertaining. But most people fall into one if not more of the categories whether they like to hear it or not.

 

My Fear Landscape: Acknowledging My Worst Fears

A few months ago I came across a book. Divergent. In the book, it discusses our greatest fears and how to break free of them. By injecting a special serum, the character’s fears play out in a series of hallucinations. Once they overcome a fear another hallucination materializes. This continues until you have conquered ever single fear you have bringing you back to reality. This is known as a fear landscape. After reading the series, I came up with my own fear landscape.

1. Presenting – I hate presentations. Apparently I do really good with them but getting in front of people makes me freak out. My whole body starts to sweat and I talk really fast. I think I might be getting over this fear because I just did a two hour presentation a few weeks ago and did great. It might have been because I freak out the night before scaring my roommate half to death….. but that’s not the point.

2. Driving In The Middle Of Nowhere And Getting Lost– I think this one pretty much explains itself. I have had this one since I was really little and is probably the worst fear I have. Of course, this happened to me not too long ago making me realize it is okay to be afraid of this one.

3. Things With Multiple Tiny Holes– I know this sounds strange but stuff, such as wood, with deep tiny holes close together gives me the creeps. I have no clue why but I can’t stand it. I can’t even look or touch whatever it is without freaking out. My best friend also has this fear so at least I am not the only one.

4. Hospitals– I know a lot of people don’t like hospitals But it gets really bad. I start hyperventilating and my blood pressure skyrockets. This happens every time I walk into the hospital…. even if I’m there to visit.

5. Native American Music– I don’t want to offend anyone with this fear because I know it is cultural but the music is really intense. I feel like something is coming down upon me and I can’t shake it. My roommate even shares this fear with me.

6. Crying– I never cry so when other people start to cry I sprint for the door. I’m not very good at comforting people.

7. The Elderly – I know what you are thinking. ‘But what’s wrong with the elderly?’ I don’t have an answer for that. All I know is that I hate being around old people. My grandparents and family friends are exceptions to that, of course, but if they aren’t either one of those you won’t see me around them.

8. Vacuums– Vacuuming is probably one of the easiest chores because all you’re doing is pushing a machine around while it picks up everything for you… but I hate it. The noise that comes from the vacuum terrifies me. I literally have to mentally prepare myself before I do it. Sometimes it takes me an hour before I get the nerves to even plug the thing in. It’s awful.

9. Pain– nobody likes to feel pain mentally, emotionally, or physically. I can deal with the mental and emotional pain just fine but when it comes to physical pain I’m done.

10. Talking On Phones – This is another fear I have to mentally prepare myself for. I can talk to people I know just fine but when it comes to calling/talking to strangers over the phone I get all nervous and start to panic. I never know what to say. Ugh.

So those are my fears. I know that they are strange and weird fears to have considering most people are afraid of spiders, snakes, or heights. For fun, I thought I would put them into one large fear landscape…..

I stood in front of the class. I could feel the dripping down my neck. I hated presenting. I flipped to the next slide which contained a short video I made. I was alone, driving in the middle of nowhere and by the looks of it I was lost. I was looking at a map trying to figure out where I was going when I hit something. I got out of the car to make sure it wasn’t an animal. But to my dismay, it was an old log with tiny holes scattered throughout and it had punctured my tire, leaving me stranded. I decided to abandon my car in hopes of finding someone to help. I stumbled upon an old broken down hospital and made my way inside. Native American music playing overhead was drowned out by the crying seeping from the rooms. I looked to my right, an elderly couple sat patiently waiting for a nurse or doctor to walk by. To my left, an old-timed janitor was vacuuming the lobby carpet. I could feel the pain of the people who had come in and out of this place. “Kali,” I heard a voice call my name. I looked up realizing the receptionist was focused on me. “It’s for you,” she held out the phone for me to take. 

And there we have it. All my fears in one creepy story. Let me know what weird/strange fears you have!

 

 

You’re That Type Of Person: A List Of Students You Find In A College Classroom

In high school, everyone is placed into a stereotypical group. There’s the jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, druggies, etc. But once you are in college, those don’t seem to matter. It doesn’t mean they aren’t still there because they are. Just nobody cares. They all seem to blend together as people cross over from one to another enjoying the new experiences that come along.

Even with the blending there are just some people you see and know right away which group they belong to. So with that said here is a list of people you might find while sitting in class.

1. Am I Late Again?– These people never seem to know when class starts. Even if they were to wake up a few minutes early everyday they would still manage to be late.

2. Electronics Are My World– Instead of paying attention to the lecture they sit playing on their computers or phones the entire time. What’s the point of even coming to class if you aren’t going to pay attention in the first place?

3. The Know It All– The students that have to make a remark about everything the teacher says just to make themselves look better than everyone else. We get it…. you’re smart.

4. The Question Guy– There is always that one guy that asks about five to ten questions a lecture even thought the teacher had just said the answer. It’s called office hours. Ask them then.

5. The Friends– They sit together in every class constantly whispering/ gossiping about everything and everyone. Do that outside of class so the rest of us can pay attention.

6. All I Need Is The Syllabus– This is the person that shows up on the first day of class and the only other time you see them is during testing days. Good for you…. unless you are failing because most likely you are.

7. The Food Eaters – Bringing food to class is fine but when it is something like a bag of chips or carrots it just gets annoying to hear…rustle, rustle, rustle…..chomp, chomp chomp. I practically can’t hear myself think let alone the teacher talking.

8. Can You Go Back?– It isn’t necessary to write down every word the teacher speaks but there are those people who’s pens don’t leave the paper. Their poor hand.

9. The Cool Guy– They walk in thinking they own the place and sit in their desk as if it was a lounge chair. You don’t look cool…. you look like you have bad posture.

10. There Won’t Be A Curve– You know exactly who these people are. They sit in the front of the classroom and they get 100 on every test because their life is dedicated to studying. Thanks to them your 89 won’t get moved up to an A.

11. Listening Is Key– Not a single piece of paper or one pen sits on the desk. Instead, they sit quietly listening to the teacher. How can you remember the little things? I really want to know.

12. Ski Much?– These people live on the slopes. They bring all their equipment to class and even have goggle face. If only I was skilled enough.

13. Athletes– they always show up to class in workout clothes and carrying their Nike drawstring bags. How do they fit their school books/supplies in that tiny bag?

14. The Agi’s – You know they are in the Agriculture department when all they wear are cowboy hats/shoes and a plaid shirt. Make sure to have your stuff off the floor because they might get mud all over it.

15. Hipster– They of course are listening to bands you never heard of or have the thick black rimmed glasses with no lens in them. Sorry, the new hipster thing to do is not actually be hipster anymore.

Well there’s the list. I’ve always wondered where I would fit in but I guess I will never find out. I made this in lecture today while looking around the classroom. It shows that even though we might be completely different people as far as lifestyle goes we can still like the same subjects, ideas, and thoughts. Let me know what group you fit in or maybe one I missed that should be added. I know there is plenty of more out there!

I’m Not Saying True Love Isn’t Real…… But C’mon!

I hate love stories. Well I shouldn’t say I hate them. I should say I hate how they are betrayed in books. I mention this because lately every book I read ends up with an average girl falling for the hot bad boy who in the end falls for her. All is dandy. All this takes place in a matter of days and of course they are each others true love.

This kind of story drives me nuts! I always complain to people after reading a novel because that is not actually how it works. People don’t just magically fall in love within a day. Especially when they hardly know each other and it’s their first time experiencing falling for someone. Love is supposed to be awkward and childish and it takes time before you can get comfortable with the person you like. At least that is how I think it should go. I know it’s a book with an imaginary world but at least make it somewhat realistic. The authors always have these far fetched romanticized dates the characters go through that no 16 year old would actually be able to pull off.

One example of course is Twilight. I actually read this series before it became so popular that no one even likes it anymore. Here we have the average girl falling for a hot supernatural guy almost instantly even though they haven’t said a word to each other. Another is Divergent. I read the series back in November. I had no clue it was going to become a movie I just happened to stumble upon it one day while meandering through Barnes and Noble. I loved the concept of the story but once they had Tris (the main character) fall for the main guy (Four) it all went down from there. Over a period of days they had fallen in love having these big in depth conversations about their lives. Seriously, what 16 year old do you know who do this. Like c’mon!

I hate that novels have to have a sub plot of love when the main plot could stand on its own. I think this is the reason why authors have such a hard time portraying love because they have to rush it instead of just letting it slowing grow.

The whole reason I’m bringing up this topic is because I probably just finished the best love story out there. Last night, I decided to give Eleanor and Park, written by Rainbow Rowell, a try. I finished it pretty fast. It is an easy read with only 325 pages. The whole story was focused on how Eleanor and Park fell for each other. It was awkward yet sweet, realistic as far as what a real date would be like for a 16 year old, and the characters weren’t stereotypical. Park is an average cute boy who happens to be half Asian while Eleanor is a redhead somewhat on the larger side. The story shows how they deal with their family situations which portrayed actual problems kids have to deal with while growing up.

Not only that but it takes place over an entire year. This right here made me the happiest of all. Rowell did such a great job bringing love back to basics. It shows that anyone can fall in love and we don’t need these outlandish scenes to prove it. It was an awesome book and I recommend everyone to read it.

 

One Trip Down The Rabbit Hole… If You Know What I Mean

What I am about to tell you is a true story. Well at least I think it is. You know how stories can become more extravagant and outrageous the more times they have been said/passed on. I heard this story from my roommate, who heard it from an acquaintance, who experienced it first hand. So this story can’t be too far fetched right?

Anyways, here it goes. For an easier read, let’s name the acquaintance Joey.

Joey and two of his friends heard that their favorite band was playing. The downside, it was at a rave….. in the middle of a dense forest…. about 40 miles away from the nearest human life form. Even though they had never been to a rave the three of them HAD to see their favorite band…. no matter how many weirdos might be out there.

It was a three day event, so they packed up their camping gear and slowly made their way through the many trails the forest had created. Eventually, they made it to the large clearing. Hundreds of tents outlined the forest edge leaving space center stage to enjoy the music. Apparently, the three days flew by.

It was the last day, Joey and his friends were packing up enjoying the last few moments they had left. A man came up and asked if they wanted some eye drops since the weather was so dry. The friends obliged.

Joey noticed that the drops stung as he blinked the fuzziness away. “What kind of drops are those? He asked watching as his friends squeezed the liquid into their eyes.

“This?” The guy pointed to the bottle laughing. “Oh this is just acid, don’t worry too much about it.”

Joey and his friends looked at each other with fright. They had to leave…..now! They practically ran back to the car located a mile or so from the camp site. The entire way scared of what was about to happen to them.

This next part is unclear as to why they decided driving was a good idea while on acid but the three of them found themselves driving endlessly through the deep forest as crazy images started appearing. It had now become dark and of course they were lost when they spotted something in the middle of the dirt road. They pulled over and went to investigate.

“It’s a troll!” One of the friends shouted with glee. The other two followed and found what their friend said to be true. After sometime playing with the magical troll, they decided to bring it back with them to the hotel they were going to be staying at.

Once at the hotel, they locked the troll in the closet afraid it might try to escape.

Joey, a few hours later, woke first shaking the other two awake. “I’m never trusting anybody ever again,” he told them as he slowly got ready. “Last night was too crazy.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe we all hallucinated bringing back a troll,” one of the others laughed. The three of them looked at each other then and slowly to the closet door. Did they actually bring something back with them? and if so what was it?

Joey slowly made his way over to the door. Twisting the knob he peered in, “Oh shit.”

The others came over to investigate why Joey’s face looked like he had seen a ghost. There, asleep on the floor, was a little girl. Yes, that’s right, you read that correctly. A little girl! They had kidnapped a little girl.

Of course, they panicked but they knew they had to go to the police. Come to find out they had not, in fact, kidnapped a little girl. Instead, they had saved a little girl who had been missing for months. To their luck, someone had previously kidnapped her and was hiding out in the forest with her.

This story has a happy ending but I always tell it to people. I tell this story as a lesson to people who are active in the drug world. I want them to have second thoughts on whether they should do them or not. I have never done drugs in my life and never plan on it. Especially after what these friends had to go through together. Some people say smoking weed is harmless but it is one life choice I intend to keep. For those who don’t, that is their life choice and they can stick with it but they have to remember there are consequences.

 

When Creatures Attack

I live about a mile and a half away from my job. Until recently, I didn’t own a car and so I would walk. Being from Montana, this would mean getting there through 3 feet deep snow, tropical storms, blazing hot summer days, and wind that could blow a house over. Now I may be exaggerating slightly(not about the snow) but those twenty minutes would be the worst twenty minutes of my life.

I also work weird hours and would sometimes be walking home in complete darkness at 1 in the morning. One afternoon, while I was enjoying the music playing from my iPod, I scanned across a large field that separates residential housing from businesses placed on the outskirts of town. A thought ran through my head as I gazed over the field ,”What would I do if there was a bear out there?” (For those of you who aren’t familiar Montana bears appear everywhere. Several have meandered onto campus a few times. So the chances of a bear being in the field is very likely). Many thoughts raced through my head as I imagined one of the scenarios taking place. I laughed it off and continued home.

The next night, I was again walking by the field, this time though at 1 in the morning. I was looking at my iPod trying to find a song I wanted to listen to when I heard a rustling. I looked up and there in the middle of the field was a large black mass. I stopped dead in my tracks. A freaking bear was only a few yards away from the trail. Still frozen I tried to remember what to do in case of a bear attack. Stop, drop, and roll.. oh wait that’s in case of a fire. Lay down and pretend your dead, right? Right before I was about to lay down my eyes started adjusting. I sighed a huge relief and then started laughing uncontrollably as I realized my mistake. The ‘bear’ was actually a large shrub growing in the middle of what was supposed to be a really flat field. I pretty much laughed the entire way home happy it wasn’t a real bear and also thinking about how big of an idiot I was to think it was a bear. Every time I passed the field, after the incident, I would always chuckle to myself and how we can play our own mind tricks.

So I know the title says “When Creatures Attack”, I am actually getting to the story… I promise…. but I first had to explain my relationship I had with this field.

It was a few months later and the sun’s rays were beating down on me. I was hot and sweaty (not a good way to start work especially when you have to look presentable). Usually, I avoided the field afraid I would get tangled or pricked in the long weeds. But for some reason that day I decided to take a short cut consisting of me walking across it. I could practically feel the A/C waiting for me as I spied the building across the way.

I started my trek and, as before, listening to my music. I was almost there when I looked up from my iPod. Only a few more steps. I looked back down as I placed my right foot. There, literally, touching my shoe was a prairie dog. I stopped, terrified because it had surprised me. We both looked at each other wide-eyed. It seemed like minutes but it was merely a second. Before I knew it the thing lunged itself at me. Over and over again it tried getting up my leg. All I could do was scream and jump up and down. As fast as it began it was over. The thing took off and there I was, alone, standing in the middle of the field.

I looked over to find construction workers staring at me. To them, I probably looked like an idiot girl screaming for no reason…how embarrassing. I quickly made my way inside relieved to get some cool air.

“How’s it going?” A co-worker asked.

“Well, I just got attacked by a prairie dog. How about you?” I laughed.

So now I can say I’ve been attacked by a prairie dog (I bet you can’t). What a weird creature to be attacked by, right?

Just Five More Minutes

Napping…….. I love napping. In kindergarten everyone hated naps because what if they missed out on something important. Like Johnny sticking a jelly bean up his nose. But now they are the best thing in the world besides puppies and chocolate of course. I never used to take naps in high school because I was too busy. Seven full hours of school, get home eat a healthy snack to tie me over until dinner, go to work for a few hours, get back to the house to do a few hours of homework, and then right to bed. That was my daily schedule. There was no time for napping.

Then college happened. I don’t know how I ever made it in high school going seven hours a day when now I’m only going 3 to 4 hours. I get home and instantly go straight for the pillows. Obviously college is more hectic as far as information being absorbed in your brain goes but you wouldn’t think I would need a nap everyday. And by nap, I mean 2 hour long naps.

Now, I don’t know when the term napping actually turns into sleeping. Is there a point of after 3 hours you are sleeping or maybe over 4? I’m not sure. Recently, at work we had an argument on how long it takes before you go into REM sleep to be considered sleeping rather than napping. I personally think that if you are tired enough the brain will switch to REM no matter how long you have been asleep for. I only say this because I can have a dream within a 20 minute nap period. Others were saying that isn’t true and 4 hours is the allotted amount of time for it to be considered sleep. So when does napping actually become napping? I could do some research on the matter but I am too tired to go look it up. So I’m going to go take a nap now. Let me know what you guys think.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz…………….

 

 

 

A Birthday Gift, A Competition, and A Boy

“I have a problem,” I told my roommate over the phone.

“Not again. It’s like the third time this week,” she sighed. I could tell she was shaking her head.

“I can’t help it. I’m addicted. From now on, anytime I mention this slap me silly because I need to stop….like now,” I looked down at what I was holding. I really couldn’t help it.

Now let’s back up. It all started with a birthday gift I had given to my roommate. She was always complaining about how she never does anything fun. So for her birthday I put together a booklet of cheap activities she could do over the summer. They were fun, simple, and brought a ton of laughs with them. One day we decided to do two at once. So we headed to the mall.

We had 45 minutes to find the creepiest object we could under 5 dollars. The other was to find as many things as possible under 10 dollars. It was on! Now when I gave this booklet to my roommate I meant for it to be fun and relaxing. But when it comes to competitions nobody better stand in my way because I will beat you down to win. I’m sort of a sore loser…. I’m not afraid to admit that.

Anyways, there was only 10 minutes left and I had only gotten the 5 dollar item. I was rushing in and out of stores trying to find the best possibility of finding something cheap with as many things attached to it as possible. I ran into a store and found the closest employee. He turned around and even though my heart was beating fast from the adrenaline it stopped instantly.

“Hhhh, hi,” I choked out trying to catch my breath. He was beautiful. I would describe him more but their isn’t enough words to describe his beauty. Finally, when I was actually able to form words, I told him my situation and he lead me straight to the socks. They were buy one get one meaning I could get two packs for the price of ten dollars. 40 items total if you didn’t count them as a pair. I surely had to win. I looked at my phone seeing I still had 8 minutes to spare.

Those eight minutes were the best eight minutes of my life as I had Jason, he finally introduced himself, lead me around the store. But sadly enough the 8 minutes were up and I had to leave because even though I thought I had run into the guy of my dreams I HAD to win the competition.

For the next couple of weeks I had went back to the store in hopes of “running” into Jason. I would wander around looking through the merchandise and seeing all the great deals patiently waiting for Jason to show up (I know this is probably considered stalking but it was for a good cause… my relationship status). Every time I would buy something off the clearance rack (to make it look like I was actually shopping). Their shirts were amazing and only two to three dollars each. What a steal!

So now I was going not for Jason but the deals. I was going two to three times a week and still am.  I work at a retail store and yet my closet is filled with this one brand. From socks, shoes, shirts, and even hats! It really is a problem. I don’t think I have obsessed over something like this ever before. It has been over two weeks since the last time I went and now that I am thinking about it I am going to break that streak. I’m going tomorrow. It’s a plan.

For those of you who want to know…… The store is Rue21 and as I’m typing this my entire outfit I am wearing is from there. Jason no longer works there so at least I won’t have a restraining order against me anytime soon. The employees know me by name….. seriously I have a problem. And last, I won the 10 dollar challenge but lost the 5 dollar one-BLAST!

What Did You Call Me?

I have been working at my part-time job for over a year and a half now. My position of Customer Service had been given to me because I am positive and easy to work with (directly from the mouth of my boss). Having this position means having more responsibility and most of the time dealing with not so happy customers more often then everyone else. Until recently I have had very few people who weren’t happy with how we run things but apparently, this last weekend, I took it too far.

Now, I do have to say I wasn’t in the best mood but, even then, I put a smile on my face and leave whatever bad was happening at home. When a customer comes in the store we usually have a greeter welcoming and answering any questions about the store. When this couple walked in our greeter was busy discussing a problem with another employee and missed the greeting towards them. Now it isn’t then end of the world if this happens but I could tell right away that they weren’t too happy. So I hurriedly greeted them and they ended up coming my way. They had a few returns and even exchanges that they had to do so I did the return and then pointed in the direction they would have to go to look for the even exchanges.

The entire time they hardly said a word to me and glared. But I just figured they had a bad day or weren’t much into talking as I went through the regular process. After sending them off, it was time for my break. I went into the break room and was enjoying some laughs with fellow co-workers when my boss walked in holding the outfits the customers were going to exchange.

“Do you remember these people,” she asked holding out the clothes to me.

“Yeah I just helped them with a return and they wanted to do an even exchange with those. Why?” I could see she had a concerned look on her face.

“They just told me that you were really rude to them,” She replied back.

“Oh,” I was all I could say. This had never happened to me before at any of the jobs I have ever worked.

“Don’t worry, I don’t believe them, ” She reassured. “But I thought you should know in case you were having a bad day or something. I know you are the most positive person we have here.” (I had won the most positive award at our staff party the year before)

“Thanks,” I said as she left the room. I sat back down and started laughing.

“Are you okay?” One of my co-workers asked.

“I’m fine and I think that is the funniest thing I have ever heard…. being called rude.” I kept laughing until I had to go back to work. Now being called rude might bother some people but it didn’t bother me. This is because I know it isn’t true and I won’t let someone who doesn’t know me ruin my day when their’s was bad.

A few years ago, I might have though differently and let it eat away until the point of stressing me out but not anymore. Working with customers has really helped me develop into someone I like. I am more confident than before. I used to be shy in that I wouldn’t start a conversation with someone unless they spoke to me and now I can talk to anyone about the littlest things. I can actually stand in front of a classroom and do a two hour presentation without fear (yes two hours is correct…. it went by fast though). I don’t take anyone’s crap and will put them in their place if need be. To me, these are so awesome qualities that I have earned and being called rude won’t ruin that for me.

I know sometimes people can be rubbed the wrong way, which is what I think happened in this case, but sometimes people can be plain mean. We have to remember not to let these things get to us because at the end of the day you are an awesome person!

I Heard You The First Time

The worst thing about school……. teachers who go on and on but yet never get to the point. I have had a few of those over the last few years. I realize this continuous ranting and raving about the same topic teaches me nothing. The reason why….. because I stop listening after the first few minutes. I have heard to learn and memorize an idea or concept you have to hear, see, or experience it at least 8 times. But not during the same lecture!

I understand that repeating it a second time gives students time to really understand the material being discussed. But when it appears three, four, or even five more times I just get angry. It’s like ‘Hello, I get it. Move on now’. For people who don’t understand they can go to open office hours….. don’t punish the people who are ready to move on to the next topic. I can see or hear the other 6 times when I am studying for the final.

I know I shouldn’t complain about this because I am not a teacher but there’s a point when you need to stop catering to the one or two people and do what’s best for the class. This brings up another idea that I have had for a while. The institute/university should have the professors, who are mostly their doing research anyways, have to take a public communication course before teaching.

Most of the time professors are only teaching because the school allows them to do their research on campus giving them the equipment and people they need to complete the project. With that though, some have no teaching experience and go in blind. This results in bad grades and very frustrated students. There are some of those teachers that think that just because they understand these outrageous concepts that the students will too. This is not the case, in fact, mostly students are only taking the course because their major requires it or it is a core class. These teachers need to be able to get done to the students level and see it from their eyes.

Also there are the professors who fail everyone. They won’t curve the test though because it’s not their fault the students didn’t get it. Those teachers need to be fired because that is not the point of teaching.

Lastly, the reason why I bring up the communication/speaking course is because presenting the information is the most important part in teaching. My freshman year I had a teacher who would end almost all her with ‘right?’. “So the amino acid goes here, right?” “So water is polar,right?” These sentences also started with ‘so’ because she liked to add that at the being of every sentence as well. I got so distracted by this, I started tallying every time she would say the words. One time I got 90 right’s and 56 so’s. I thought that was a lot until this past semester.

I took a 400 level virology class this past fall and boy did the teacher like to say ‘um’. In one class period I counted 365 marks on my paper and that was after I started 10 minutes in. The next day I counted 465. Exactly 100 tallies more than the day before. This means she was saying ‘um’ on average 9.2 times a minute! Not only did it make her sound like she was dumb and didn’t know the material I stopped taking notes altogether and just tallied. Because that was way more interesting than what she was saying.

So my conclusion to this rant is I should probably stop tallying and write notes.

 

No One Ever Told Me I Would Be This Poor

Poor…… I used to laugh at the thought of poor college students thinking that would never be me. Instead, I sit here hoping that the negative balance in my account will magically turn positive in the next few days. Even a few dollars would help the fact that I could get some food in the fridge. I can’t even afford a pack of ramen.

Looking back, I was an idiot for thinking I was exempt to this idea that now is reality. But back then, I didn’t have to worry. I have had a job since the age of 8…. yes 8! I put myself to work during the summers selling lemonade on our busy street corner. I used my innocence to create revenue. I was raking in the dough. Almost 200 dollars a day. Business even picked up when the local news did a story on the girl who could sell pitchers of lemonade to people at the drop of the hat.

Once I was too old, I started working at our family candy shop. To a kid this is the best job in the world…. for a while that is. Then it becomes overwhelming too the point of just hearing about candy makes you cry. Even then I forced myself to keep earning money and stashing it away for when the opportunity was right.

After working at a vet clinic, for five years, I was ready to start college. 22,000 is what I had saved and that is what I had been saving it for. Somehow college managed to wipe my pockets clean. For something that took me 11 years to save had been wiped out in less than 2.

2 whole years and everything my life revolved around was gone. And now I sit here refreshing my account web page in hopes that maybe tomorrow I might actually get to go to the store to buy some ramen. It’s still negative.