Sunday, August 30, 2009

Random Thoughts from People 25-35 Years Old

I got an email from my cousin Karen this past week and laughed so hard that I had to share! These are not my original thoughts, just a good ol' fashion forward. My thoughts are in parentheses. (These are parentheses.)

-I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

-That's enough, Nickelback. (No joke.)

-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with? (Haha!! I would say 90%!)

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

-There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the crap was going on when I first saw it. (Oh my goodness, true.)

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it. (haha!! True!! I'm that way with Sweet Home Alabama and The Holiday.)

-How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? (Agreed.)

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. (This is me!)

- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. (Or confiscate all your journals.)

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text. (Yep.)

- LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say". (Wow, true)

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying. (Oh, so true!)

- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said? (I do this.)

- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a punk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart. (hahaha!!)

- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. (This is true.)

- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. (True.)

- Bad decisions make good stories (Sad yet true.)

-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

- Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year? (I had this exact thought in the last week.)

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem... (This totally happened this past week during my first EMT class! UGH!)

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection. (Yes, please.)

-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to. (So, so true!)

- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV.. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?' (I feel this way!! Especially when it's a Discovery Health show that I love.)

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Crap!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. (True.)

-When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes. (haha! Agreed. I have great music, but on shuffle, not so much.)

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. (I do this.)

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood. (Sad but true.)

-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. (And some times I add the words "Do not answer" so I really don't forget.)

-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, Pinning the Tail on the Donkey, or finding a ringing phone in a purse - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the heck do I respond to that?

-It really ticks me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text. (So true!)

-I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit. (Haha, I think this.)

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel fat before dinner.

Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did! :)

Christen

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

500 Days of Summer

No, I'm not talking about the movie...though I did see it, and it's fantastic. This summer has honestly seemed 500 days long. I've been home for two months without a job, without school, and without being able to go out of town for more than a day or two because I was hoping for job interviews. I've had a lot of boring days, and yet, I've been through 8 weeks of boot camp, gotten involved at church, and lost a lot of softball games. :)

A couple of weeks ago, I got an exciting phone call. One of the temp agencies I had applied to found a job for me at a country club. It was perfect-- I could set my own hours, the pay was good, and it would be clerical-type work. Last Tuesday, I was up and getting ready for work. About 30 minutes before I was to leave, my phone rang. It was the temp agency. They had received an email from the country club, and my position had been "eliminated." It was quite a blow. I knew my money was quickly running out, and here I was back at square one. It was a low point.

The same day a friend of mine called. He had found out about my job situation and told me he thought he could get me a job. It was a huge blessing, and yet not something I really wanted. He's the former manager at the Chick-fil-a in Longview, and he and the new manager are good friends. If you don't know, I worked at CFA for 2 1/2 years in high school. It was a great job...when I was 16. Going back is a blow to my ego. But I sat myself down and really weighed the pros and cons. They're flexible, I'll make the money I need, they're closed on Sundays, and it's a great environment. The cons: it was my high school job. So, I sucked it up, applied, interviewed, and got the job. I trained this past Monday, and I start next week.

I'm a 25 year old, bachelor degree holding, single, fast food worker who lives with her parents. And that's okay. I'm so thankful to the Lord for providing this opportunity. After 25 or more applications and 2 useless interviews, I have a means of income. And that's all I can really ask. I'm going back to school to pursue a career that I really want, and I'm saving money by not paying rent.

Maybe this isn't the life I imagined for myself when I was younger. But it's my life. And I'm living it the best way I know how.

Christen

Sunday, August 9, 2009

My Mini-vacation

July 30, 9:00 a.m.
Woke up way too late this morning. Still need to shower, pack, and drive to Tyler by noon. That's what I get for staying up so late. But I needed to watch So You Think You Can Dance.

12:13 p.m.
Alesha and I are on the road. I wish we were riding together, but it's okay. I've got a lot of music to catch up on. Can't wait to get to Houston! Glad to have a Diet Coke.

7:46 p.m.
Made it to Julie's. I love her new house!! Headed to dinner now with her and Daniel. I forget how nostalgic I get in Houston. I wish I had time to sit outside and watch the planes come in to IAH. It's still one of my favorite things.

July 31, 1:22 a.m.
What a great night! I lost miserably at Scattergories, but it's been so nice catching up.

10:00 a.m.
Getting ready to leave for the Woodlands to see little Rylee Ann Williams. I'm amazed that I can love a little baby so much who I've never met. Can't wait to see Krissie and Ryan, too.

2:27 p.m.
Grabbing some lunch with Julie and Alesha before we part ways. I love Rancheros. Yum! I got to hold Rylee for a long time and even feed her a bottle. She is the softest, most cuddly little thing with her black hair and cute little upturned nose. Love, love, love. I'm going back after lunch. :)

5:45 p.m.
Headed to Austin now. It's funny that I miss Houston as much as I do. I know it's just the people...not the traffic or job. ha The Williams' family has a precious, special place in my heart.

9:11 p.m.
Sitting at the Mellow Mushroom with Tim Ross and Colter. Who would have ever thought Caesar salad-topped pizza would be a good idea? Try it! Thinking about firing up a rowdy game of Uno, but Tim Barton's headed to the house...haven't seen that kid in years.

August 1, 12:59 a.m.
Climbing into bed. It's been a long day, but entirely worth it. Had some great laughs with the guys tonight sitting on the backporch watching YouTube videos. Curling up on my air mattress now. Tubing in the morning!!

8:48 a.m.
Tim made breakfast. Not a huge fan of eggs, but I'm really hungry, so I'm game. The bacon's fantastic. Wasn't too thrilled about wearing a swimsuit today, but thank God (literally) for boot camp! I'll be okay. :) Oh, gotta run...leaving for New Braunsfel.

2:13 p.m.
Sitting at Whataburger. Tubing was incredible! The water was cold, but it was still so relaxing. Tim lost his sunglasses, and I banged my legs pretty good on some concrete, but otherwise, we came away unscathed and totally chill. I really enjoyed our group, too...good people.

5:33 p.m.
Hanging out at Starbucks with Scott Hamilton. I really enjoy having so many friends in this city. It's been quite a few months since I've seen Scott, so it's nice catching up. Anyone else know he works for a linen company sometimes? ;) haha I think we may head to Borders in a second to look for a present for a friend of ours.

8:37 p.m.
Back at Tim's house. Looks like dinner is no where on the horizon. I just realized how much my daily routine revolves around food. Oh dear. Half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich will tide me over. Texting Scott...trying to convince him to come to the Rocketboys' show tonight. It's going to be good. Man, I'm hungry.

August 2, 2:10 a.m.
Just getting home. The Rocketboys put on an incredible show. Scott ended up coming, and it was Colter's first show. I love their new songs. I'd heard most of them, but I still love them. It's funny how much I love that band. I started going to their shows to support my cousin Josh. I love him...we're cousins. But I've continued to go, sometimes to as many as 7 or 8 a year, and my love for them only grows. I love taking people with me, showing The Rocketboys off. And some day, they're going to be huge. You just wait. :) After the show, we went to Katz's on 6th street for a bite (finally). We got invited to hang out with some friends, but we're all beat.

10:43 a.m.
Well, just got a text from Tim...looks like he overslept. Ironic, right? I'm usually the one oversleeping and making people late. It's nice to have the tables turned. I don't even care that he missed his alarm. Reading "Breaking Dawn" in a fold-out chair in their make-shift dining room. I love quiet mornings.

2:41 p.m.
Hitting the road for Dallas. So, so, so very excited to see Shelby. It's been almost 6 weeks since I've seen her. Too long, far too long. Tim and I had a great morning. We went to Thunderbird Coffee for breakfast. Bacon and egg panini with a nice skinny mocha. There's just something about drinking coffee out of a ceramic mug that makes me smile. Tim took me to some of his favorite spots. I'm really sad I didn't have my camera with me...absolutely gorgeous. Great outlook points over the Colorado River, one with a fantastic bridge. There was quite a bit of hiking involved. Again, so very thankful for boot camp. I wouldn't have made it up those trails 6 weeks ago. But today, hardly out of breath. :) I love Austin. Maybe one day I'll live there.

11:52 p.m.
Made it to Dallas. I felt a little silly when tears brimmed in my eyes upon seeing Shelby. Isn't it nice to find such special friends? We've had a great evening of hanging out (and eating...haha). Got to talk to her boyfriend for a bit. I like him. Looks like tomorrow I'll get to hang out with him again. Okay, time for a chick flick. Woohoo :)

August 3, 1:17 p.m.
Great day so far. Stayed in bed until after 11 a.m. just talking. Had a great burger with Shelbs and Josh on Greenville Ave., and was a bit mischievious with Shelby afterwards on our drive back to Waxahachie. hehe Time to go apartment hunting...for Shelby. I promise I'm not moving again.

7:21 p.m.
Time to head home. Apartment hunting was rather unsuccessful. But I did get to see my dear friends, the Cowans, this afternoon. Malachi has got to be the most precious little boy. I had him cracking up! I tickled him and played peek-a-boo. Cute, cute!! It was good to see Nick and Jess, too. Really sad to say goodbye to Shelbs.

10:02 p.m.
Home sweet home. What a great trip! 800 miles and worth every one. Thanks for coming along for the ride. :)