Thursday, March 31, 2011

Explosive

Explosive
So yesterday, I left work and on my way to school I was drinking out of a normal water bottle when some H2O got a little confused and found its way into my lungs. Thank goodness that’s all I had all day, because I threw up all over myself while driving. Not THROW UP-throw up, but water vomit.  It was all over my seat, soaking my pants, and causing some minor discomfort. It dried on my walk to class. In the computer lab, I went to open my fruit cup of mandarin oranges, and it threw up on me. A faceful of mandarin juices—on the keyboard, my hoodie, pants (again,) my phone, and my backpack. (People were judging me, because I was trying to mop it up with some pages of poetry from my previous class.)
What the hell is going on?!
Now that I’ve told you about that, onto more important stuff—B and I are officially old people now. [You may have seen indications of such an aging transformation earlier: scrapbooking, turning down parties or nights in Atlantic City, reading books out loud, refusing to go anywhere past 10 pm.] Last week, B spent time in class doing puzzles with his students; he said they were calmed down, focused, and not fighting with each other and he could also take a breather and “bond” with them. A win/win. Later that evening, we were on one of our usual Wal-Mart dates (a free way to get out of the house when we’re bored and close to killing each other) when we decided to buy ourselves a puzzle and get a new “together” hobby.

We picked a puzzle that’s a glow in the dark picture of the Vegas skyline (the most bad ass puzzle there.) That’s not the lamest thing ever, right? It gets worse. “How are we going to move it from my house to yours?” B asked me—like it was crucial to have the puzzle no matter where we were. There exists a puzzle take-away-er—a large piece of black felt that is accompanied by a plastic inflatable tube allows you to work on the felt then roll it all up when you’re done; it even has straps. That night we spent $20 on puzzle gear. It’s almost done, although I give most of the credit to B, because while he was puzzling I was spending hours on the phone trying to book a flight and redeem my cancelled ticket from last spring semester. (Way too long of a story, but it involves Mexico, drug wars, and Harry Potter World.)
Now, I can’t say that puzzling has brought us together more, but it definitely hasn’t hurt. I have to admit, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs lately—or even since day 1—but this week has been exceptionally wonderful, and even though I am enduring a terrible day full of exploding liquid, I am in a good mood, because I get to see him and puzzle later. YES!
Work is getting to me just a teeny bit. I know I’m stressed when I go to bed thinking about it and wake up 5 minutes before my alarm clock, still thinking about it. I think it will all be worth it when I get my first paychecks, but I am worried that I am gonna run out of good ideas for this marketing jobs. I am open to any and all legitimate suggestions.
 I work for Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa in Mayslanding (It’s right next to Five Below and the Movie theater.) My job is to find way to get more customers and members in using social networking services. I need more friends, followers, etc., and then I need those friends to tell other friends; then I need them all to come in and get services from massages (starting at $40 for 50 minutes,) facials (starting at $50 for 50 minutes,) threading (it’s an eyebrow thing, boys,) and waxing. First off, you can all do me a HUGE favor and follow me on twitter @Finessuh, follow Hand and Stone on twitter @HandandStoneML, and “Like” Mayslanding Hand and Stone on Face book (It’s linked on my Face book so it’s easy to find.) Also, keep me posted on your thoughts!!!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

All in a 24 Hour's Work

Overwhelmed
Right now, I am sitting at my computer in a big, brown sweater eating wedding cake. Do you know how hard it is to eat healthy when your sister is a pastry chef in culinary school? No. You probably don’t.  It’s good though: vanilla pound cake with raspberry jam— Yum.

So I haven’t even been employed for a week yet, but I’m starting to feel stressed.
Bad things about my jobs:
·         They’re time consuming
·         They can be tedious
·         There’s A LOT of stuff to remember
Good things about my jobs:
·         They pay me
·         I’m learning a lot (like how to save something as a PDF—you would think I would know after 4 years of college.)
·         I’m no longer spending entire days in the same pajamas
·         I’m getting a one week crash course in everything Geo thermal by a real life Juno, who will remain faceless, but may just be the cutest person I’ve ever met. I’m sad that she will be going on maternity leave, but excited to take her out for a huge burrito farewell.

Good Cause
Time’s up now, but earlier today—from 5pm to 9pm—anyone who ate at the local Applebee’s [and presented a fundraising flyer to their waiter] would be contributing to a fund to help a friend of a friend pay her mounting medical bills—results of her long battle with cancer. I thought it was a great idea and was impressed with Applebee’s for donating 10% of everyone’s bill to this fundraiser. I ate there to help out a friend and do my good deed for the day. I also hate cancer.
*Let this be a seed in the mind of those with family members struggling with similar situations—it might take some work, but there are creative ways to find help.  Many companies will do fundraisers like this, because it’s a big PR boost for them (and some might even have the best intentions too.)


Bombs Away
I don’t mean to be flip, but I didn’t feel especially brave going to school on Wednesday despite the threat made against it; I simply forgot that anything was up. When I showed up for my am class, I was ecstatic to find an awesome parking spot. It’s my lucky day, I thought. That class was cancelled.
The halls were filled with policemen and women, and class attendance was around 30%. There was an eerie feeling, especially because no one really knew what was going on. I was extremely disappointed in our school’s president for being so ambiguous. The school didn’t cancel classes, but there was also no assurance: an “Everything’s under control. Go about your day.” would have been nice.
This was all the info anyone really had:
There were rumors that it was a bomb threat; others said that 3 people had been arrested. My Google searched turned up nothing to back up any of the hear-say. The only update on the college’s website since Monday—
   NOTICE: We are quite grateful that Wednesday turned out to be a normal day on the Stockton campus. Our local and regional law enforcement agencies are to be commended for their efforts. Please be aware that we will continue vigilant surveillance throughout the campus and ask that faculty, students and staff always be mindful of suspicious activity and report anything to the Campus Police at 609-652-4390.
Not very interesting, I guess, but I’m glad everyone was safe.


Annoyed
I love him dearly, but B needs to learn that you cannot experiment with black hair dye in my pastel bathroom on top of my white, porcelain sink. When I walked in today, I was disgusted by what seemed to be black mold spots all over my mirror, vanity cupboard, sink basin, wall, and even some picture frames. (I have pictures of fish in the bathroom. Don’t ask.) Upon closer observation, I realized that it was dye, and it had stained everything. (Those of you who don’t know, porcelain is a porous surface—it will absorb things that stain it, and quickly!)I was dumb and didn’t think that the bleach I used to scrub everything would also have an adverse effect on the wall paint. My bathroom nook now looks like crap.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Accomplishment

Today I feel good. This could be due to the following facts:
·         I’ve lost 6 pounds this week.
·         It is gorgeous outside (again!)
·         After almost 2 months of unemployment (sans unemployment checks,) I now have two jobs that I am pretty sure I will enjoy and that will allow me to save lots of money.
Let’s Talk About Skinny:
I am not that girl who goes around telling people she’s so fat in order to evoke to PC usual response, “No way! You look super thin! [I can’t tell that you’ve gained 30 pounds!]” It’s always a lie, and when people do that to me, I feel really uncomfortable; if you’re fat—enjoy it, embrace, or lose it. I know that the right thing to do is say that everyone is beautiful no matter what their size, and I know that there are some gorgeous heavy women out there, just like there are some beautifully challenged thing women. I do not care either way—all I know is that if I didn’t get thin again, I would have to throw out A LOT of clothes, and frankly, I don’t have the money for an entire stretch wardrobe.
**SIDENOTE
Even Hollywood has a few women that might weigh more than 115 pounds—rare as they are, they exist; the only problem with their existence is that they become poster women for people who are not in the range of 6% body fat; they are constantly referred to as “one of Hollywood’s most womanly figure,” “the starlet who’s not afraid to eat,” or the Weight Watcher’s spokesperson. Did anyone ask Jennifer Hudson about anything besides her weight loss at the Oscar’s? No. Hollywood doesn’t accept these women as perfectly beautiful, because they can’ stop talking about how perfectly different they are.

So I got down to business. I have been working out every morning, and though I’m a little embarrassed to admit this—the Wii fit has me really motivated; it tells me I’m fat, how much weight I need to lose, tracks my progress, and gives me ides for more intense workouts when I’m done with the Wii stuff. I usually do some yoga to stretch out before some cardio and then some strength/core training. I bought an 8 lb medicine ball at Wal-Mart and it’s awesome. I also started eating healthy—lot’s of fruits and veggies and protein; I also make sure I get one glass of milk in a day and some whole grains. I feel pretty good. My mom decided to get Chinese for dinner last night, so ate a little bit on a dessert plate instead of a dinner plate to manage my portions. It’s a lot easier than I thought it would be.
Lastly, I got out my THINSPIRATION. Pictures of me with protruding collar bones in bikinis and tiny Hollister pants are everywhere, so I remember how good I looked and feel bad if I get off track.
Sunny in Southern Jersey:
Not too much to say about the weather except it’s warm and sunny and awesome. I’m spending the day with B, and trying to figure out what to do outside.

Money Honey:
The first job offer I accepted yesterday was for an FT office manager position at a geothermal drilling company (What is it with me and energy conservation? I’m not sure, especially since I partake in few to no green activities.) The other is a PT position at a local spa as their social networking/marketing administrator; that is a made up name for a nameless position, but I think it sounds pretty cool. The owner is talking about giving me a company phone so that I can literally answer Tweets, Face book comments, etc. all day on a Blackberry Storm. Pretty cool, huh?
I am not getting ahead of myself yet, because I know how the business world works, and what seems awesome today might not be feasible or tangible tomorrow—that’s why I have 2 jobs.
So after a month of sitting around my house, eating because I’m bored, and having no money things are looking up for me. I was driving with my windows down and sunglasses on, and I decided that when I get rich, I’m going to buy myself an Audi. With EZ Pass. That will be the life. J

Friday, March 18, 2011

Nataliedee.com

First Day of My First Blog

Not too long ago, I found the diary I kept in 3rd grade— three pages in the headline read: "When you're a kid with red hair and freckles, you don't have any friends."
I was no naïve 8 year old; I knew the deal early, and from that point on I learned that self-deprecation and humor were the only things that would keep me sane throughout middle school and junior high. Any true ginger can relate to my plight. We are the number one transmitter of cooties, the butt of ceaseless jokes (You can hear them daily, especially, if you’re a Chelsea Handler fan like myself) and now there’s even been talk of our extinction. Go figure.
There have been many times that I’ve been tempted to dye my hair a more acceptable color: dark brown, medium brown, dark blonde, hell—even purple—but I decided to forgo any major transformations and stick to my true roots.
 Besides, these days I have so many more pressing issues to deal with: yo-yo dieting (this goes hand-in-hand with my Food Network Channel obsession,) Prada shoes on sale at TJ Maxx, figuring out my Nook Color, Twitter, my determination to get published in the New York Times (BEFORE they make you pay to check out the online version,) employment (or lack of,) and my aspiration to establish a six-figure income.
You may be wondering—why create a blog? I wondered the same thing for five years, dubbing any bloggers as attention-deprived interweb freaks. I could just write a journal for myself, but as you will find I don’t have it all together so why not leave myself open to humorous, if not viable, suggestions from twentysomethings going through the same thing? Also, I figure any extra thoughtful writing will improve my overall skill and hopefully vocabulary.