Bucatin

I have realized I have not written in awhile, I would like to say it’s because I haven’t had a lot of time but I don’t really think that’s it. I have been busy but I should/can always make time to write. So for those 2+ people who read this I am sorry haha. I had been traveling for work a lot lately and then had company visit.

I will try to catch everyone up on my life. At this moment I am sitting on my air mattress writing this blog. It is kind of weird because almost exactly 2 years ago I moved to California and now I am moving again. I found a place in East Sacramento which is closer to work. It’s going to be a good move for me but it’s going to be hard leaving this house. I have had a lot of good memories here and my two roommates have become more then friends to me they have become my family. I always figured that if something happened to me at least one of them would notice. I will miss them. So....my room is empty, all I have left is my bed, my computer and my pillow. Other than that I am heading to San Diego for Thanksgiving and I will be home for 2 weeks over Christmas!

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So my friends from Wisconsin came to visit me a few weekends ago, we went to Napa and Sonoma then also did the San Francisco thing. There are many funny stories from the trip but here is one:

I hope that I can make it sound as funny as it was. That being said when the situation happened I was tipsy so maybe if you could get tipsy that will also help my story out. Thanks.

It was Saturday night and we were all getting ready to go out for a nice dinner and get drinks afterwards in San Francisco. We found a place in the Marina District and called and made reservations for that night. (The day before we went to Napa and had purchased 2 huge bottles of wine, so we all had a few glasses of wine while getting ready.) In San Francisco it can be hard to find a cab that will take 5 people, that being said I have become really good at convincing cab drivers that while driving I would duck so he/she wouldn’t get fined. I finally get a cab to take us and we all head out.

Cab Driver = Thick Eastern European accent
The Grils = Hungry and have been drinking wine

Cab Driver: Where are you going?
Me (Half ducking): Marina District
Anna: (provides address)
Emily: (To the cab driver) Wow that smells really good?
Lizzie: Yeah that does smell really good
Brittany: It smells like greek food or something? Did you get that at a place around here?
Cab Driver: Yes I did, yes it’s really good.
Brittany: Where did you go?
Cab Driver: “Bucatin”
Me: (In my head) I start feeling a little sick, it smells like greasy fast food to me but I am not sure if the problem is the smell of the food or me ducking. I am at this point trying to figure out why my friends are so impressed with what he is eating but I just stay quiet.
Lizzie: Do you go to that place a lot?
Cab Driver: Yes
Brittany: Is it a nice restaurant?
Cab Driver: Yes it’s around here.

5 min pass – Friends are still talking about how good the food smells.

We start to get closer to the place and I gather that my friends are finally starting to understand that this cab driver is eating fast food. At this point the cab driver has said “bucatin” so many time I realize he is really saying Burger King. Time passes and I figure my friends have now also heard “Burger King” but they are still going on and on.

Emily: Is Bucatin a fast food restaurant?
Me: (As we are getting out of the cab) Emily are you kidding me, you have heard of Burger King.
Everyone: (As we get out of the cab) Oh he is talking about Burger King.
Brittany: You should have said something.
Me: What did you want me to say I thought you guys knew, should I have said “no guys he is eating a cheeseburger from burger king and that what you guys are thinking is so great”.

Lets just say we all had a good laugh afterwards.

This Will Blow Your Mind ~ Buckingham

Have you ever been told what you think you have known for your whole life is totally wrong?

The day: Last Friday
Who: Marcus Buckingham - an English motivational speaker, trainer, public leader, researcher and author. http://www.tmbc.com/mb/biography
What he said: Everything you know about strengths and weaknesses is wrong.

The speech started by Marcus (I met him so I feel like we are now on a first name basis...probably doesnt remember me but thats ok) asking everyone what is more important in the workforce; building on your strengths or working on your weaknesses. Everyone had a different opinion and in my mind they were all valid opinions. The part that really struck me was his definition of what strength is and what weakness is. For the most part people are taught that a strength is something we are good at and a weakness is something we are bad at. Now this next part is going to blow your mind.

That is really not the case. He goes on to tell everyone that people can be really good at something but it is a weakness for them and on the flip side people can be really bad at something but it is a strength. Let me explain a strength is something that when you are doing “it” that “it” makes you stronger as a person; it gives strength to your life it brings you happiness, invigorats you, make you feel successful etc. A weakness is something that while you are doing “it” that “it” makes you a weaker person; it gives weakness to your life in terms of sadness, anxiety, boredom.

I thought about this afterward like Marcus (again he’s my friend, even tho I was unable to get his autograph bummer) told me too. I think about my last job. Since I was a little kid I remember people telling me you are good with people you should be in sales. I was good at sales, I remember my boss would tell me that all the time, yet I was not happy and bored most of the time. Going to work what I thought was my strength was actually a weakness of mine. What I realized is I don’t feel successful in sales it’s just the aspect of working with people and that interaction with them that gave me the feeling of success.

He discussed how in the work place you won’t always be able to focus on your strengths but what’s important is to find that balance. You might use a strength you have while also incorporating a weakness also. What is important is to teach yourself to pay attention on what day to day basis what tasks make you feel strong. Noticing each day why the task made you feel good or made you feel bad.

What are your strenghs? Are they different then you thought they were?

A Chocolate Chilean Palin

Thing I don’t really like:
Chocolate - I am not really a big fan of chocolate. I will eat is every so often but for the most part I pass. If people don’t know me I will sometimes tell them that I am allergic. I know this is lying but its better than getting weird looks or people telling me I am not a girl or people asking me a million questions about why I dont like it. My mom can account. When I was a little kid my friend offered me chocolate I took one bite and then realized I was going to be unable to eat it all because I didn’t like it so I told my friends mom I was allergic. My friend’s mom then ended up calling my mom and apologizing asking my mom what she should do and if I was going to be ok.

Job I could never have:
A Chilean Miner – I have been following this story for awhile and I was happy to hear everyone made it out alive. That being said while reading about the type of stuff these men had to endure on the job I realized it was not a job for me. Even the rescue I would have been the one in the capsule as its spinning around passing out and messing up everything while rocks fall on me. The thought of even going on a swing makes me sick. I can’t image going from 90 degrees to freezing and spending 20 minuets enclosed in a capsule. For those reasons I am adding that to my “could never do list”.

Person I find to be an idiot but brilliant:
Sarah Palin – I saw her speak yesterday and I realized how “smart” this woman is. Now you all might be saying “you are kidding me” in your head or you might not be. I want to make a quick disclaimer: I don’t agree with much that comes out of her mouth nor do I understand much that comes out of her mouth (I find her to be all over the place and unable to answer a question when asked too) but I look at it this way. When Palin arrived yesterday she had a HUGE following of people and her own security team. When Howard Dean showed up he came alone. They both technically had the same ranking as past Governors. The difference now is that Sarah Palin doesn’t really need to deal with politics or know about politics. She can make a few off the wall comments and bash a few people and shes golden. She can get up and talk about whatever she wants and people will pay her a lot of money. She quit her job as Governor because well she realized she could make more money being a celebrity. She is like Paris Hilton. Once you say enough crazy stuff people will follow you and pay to be their cheerleader. You don’t really need to do or know anything. As Palin said best “I didn’t really had a good answer, as so often — is me.”

The Lost Art Of....

Today I was working with some students from a nearby university and the conversation went as follows:

Me - What, I am sorry I don’t get it?
Her - I am sorry maybe it’s something in my generation.
Me - What generation do you think I am in?
Her – Well you are working so I just assumed you were older.

This made me think about a conversation I was having last week with my mom about “lost arts”. Things I remember doing in the past…

1. Using A Map – I remember when I was 16 or 17 and my friends took a trip to Northern Michigan. We had a map out in the front of us with a highlighted route and written directions. I think about it now, we use MapQuest or our GPS. We now say you are .6 miles away. Do people even know how to read a normal map anymore?
2. Waving when someone lets you in – I am not sure if this is a lost art all over the place or just in California. I had let 2 people in front of me the other night and not one person waved to say thank you. How rude!
3. Knowing how to let someone follow you in a car – A few weeks ago my friend told me to “follow her”. When you tell someone to follow you don’t speed through the yellow light or make a quick turn without a warning. You drive differently than you would normally so people are able to follow you.
4. Letter writing- wait an email is not a letter?
5. RSVP – I understand we are in the age of Facebook invites but if you get invited to something its common courtesy to reply in a decent time frame. There are two types of people that fail when it comes to RSVPing. Type 1. If you RSVP all the time because you feel bad saying know or are too lazy to look to see if you are free but last minute you always bail out. Type 2. If you are the type of person who waits a long time to see if something better to come up. All I have to say to these people is at some point people will stop inviting you to things, so be carful.
6. War – I remember in my history books reading about how people stood in a line and someone yelled fire and then everyone would shoot. Now people go to war and there are no boundaries and no clear end to wars.

If anyone has anymore let me know…

The Vineyard Life Cycle

This blog is thanks to my Aunt Kathy. She was nice enough to buy me a book on wine called “The Wines of America” by Robert Schoolsky. Thank you Aunt Kathy!

The Vineyard Life Cycle brought to you by “The Wines of America” – please note that each region differs slightly. If anyone ever wants to venture out to California Wine Country I would love to show you around.

March- When vines emerge from the winter sleep period, the earth must be plowed and the soil must be aerated.

April- New planting of nursery stock with continued plowing; this stage is where sap rises in established vines. Possible frost.

May – The vines are weeded and cleared of insects. Possible frost.

June – The flowering of the vines.

July – Spraying and trimming. More weed removal and soil aeration. Grape berries look like tiny green pellets or peas.

August – Weeding and trimming. Black and red grapes start to lose their green and take on coloration.

September – If the vines have received enough sunlight, the harvest will start at the end of the month.

October – The harvest.

November – Trim the longer vines. Plow the soil to cover the base of the vines for winter.

December – Prune the vines to prepare that next years growth.

January – Pruning continues.

February – Pruning ends. Start the process all over again.

Movement and Strength

“Push through, stay strong, we can do it”

The other day my roommates and I got our PG&E bill and the phrases above are the words we are now chanting as we sit in our house and its 86 degrees. We figure as long as it doesn’t hit 90’s we can just stick it out a couple days. We are looking at it as being environmentally friendly and cheap. I like to think we are more environmentally friendly than cheap.

On another note I was in the Roseville newspaper the other day. It’s actually a funny story of how it happened. I got invited by my roommate who has a personal trainer at a gym, she asked me if i wanted to attend a party the gym was hosting. At first I was a little hesitant because I have never been to the gym and had no intention of joining. I soon came to find out there was going to be free drinks and food, which caught my attention. Then I found out the theme was going to be 60’s and 70's music...so of course I was in. I went and had a few drinks got to know the photographer did a little networking being in event planning and all. Here is the link; the actual newspaper just had our picture in it. Let’s just put it this way…if you want my autograph just ask.

http://rosevillept.com/detail/157081.html

Nifty Fifty Fun Facts

I was on the phone today with someone who was questioning my knowledge on different California fats. I then thought about a past blog I wrote on interesting facts about different states. I thought I would add some more states for my next blog. Here we go…

New York:

May Have Known:
-Empire State, Albany, Hudson River, Big Apple, Hudson River, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, New York Stoke Exchange, Broadway

May Not Have Known:
-The first American chess tournament was held in New York in 1843
-The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time.
-Joseph C. Gayetty of New York City invented toilet paper in 1857.
-New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.

Hawii:

May Have Known:
-Big Island, Exotic flowers, Beaches, Palm Trees, Volcanoes, Hula Dancing, Surfing, Pineapples, Tropics

May Not Have Known:
-Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee.
-Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States.
-The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii
-Under-sea volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago formed the islands of Hawaii.
-Hawaii has the most diverse population of any state.

South Carolina:

May Have Known:
-Old Plantations, Fort Sumter National Monument, Charleston, Hilton Head resorts, Peaches, sandy beaches

May Not Have Known:
-The state dance of South Carolina is the Shag!
-The first battle of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter
-The salamander was given the honor of official state amphibian
-South Carolina entered the Union on May 23, 1788 and became the 8th state.

Iowa:

May Have Known:
-Corn, Hawkeye State, Amish, agricultural state, Herbert Hoover, Des Moines

May Not Have Known:
-Strawberry Point is the home of the world's largest strawberry.
-Dubuque is the state's oldest city.
-Wright County has the highest percentage of grade-A topsoil in the nation.
-Born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, John Wayne was the son of a pharmacist and grew up to become one of Hollywood's most popular movie stars
-Iowa is the only state name that starts with two vowels.

50states.com

Can Your State Be Formed By Your Hand?

I was in a policy meeting last week when my boss asked me where I was going on vacation. Being from Wisconsin the first thing you think to do is put your hand and form it into the shape of Wisconsin. Then you point to where you live. I soon realized that this might look very funny being that I work in California. My boss got it right away because he too is from the Midwest. Everyone else in the meeting just looked at me funny. I then tried to make Upper Michigan out of my other hand. The problem is then you don’t have a hand to point. So my boss then came over and he made the UP out of his hand so I could point. I wont lie I got a couple "thats cool" from people. I proceeded to point out Madison, Milwaukee, and RiverFalls. Moral of the story Wisconsin is the best state to make with your hand.



It is funny to think about some of the big things that used to bother you and then you move to another state and those things go away. If anyone knows me they know I get bite a lot by all kinds of bugs. It doesn’t rain in Cali for most of the year so bugs don’t really come out. I know my friends here would say I am crazy but they also have never been to the Midwest in the summer. This whole summer I had maybe 2 bites on me from camping. I go to midwest for 4 days; I come back with 20+ bites. So Wisco might be able to make a state out of a hand but Cali has fewer bugs.

Its a wash...haha

Little Changes vs Big Changes

My random thought process today:

In 2008 my new year’s resolution was to read at least 30 min a day for 4-5 days a week. Growing up I was more into playing sports and the thought of picking up a book and reading it for fun was out of the question. It was only when I hit high school that I started to read books for fun. My mom had introduced me to a couple of authors who wrote mystery novels and from there I started reading other things. So in 2008 or the year I like to call my “transition year” I was able to read because I had just finished college and didn’t have a job and was living at home. Reading was easy and I had time to do it.

Then I moved to California and 2009 was seriously a blur to me and somehow today it is Aug 2010 and I have realized I have not been reading as much as I would like. I could cop out and say it’s because I am busy with work and my “social life” but I realize I am the only one to blame. I read a blog that really got me thinking. I am a little mad because I closed this guy’s blog out without following him so I might never find him again, but that being said…he talked about how life is all about choices. My first thought: well yeah I have heard that one before but I kept reading. He explained how he woke up one day and realized his life is not where he wanted it to be.

Most people have point in their life where they are either bored, unhappy, and or feel they need something more in their life. His first thought (like most people) was to make a drastic change so he did. After the new wore off of that change he found himself still feeling the same emotions as before. When he sat down he realized maybe he just needed to make a couple small changes. Here is where I started to really get curious. Most people would try to figure out what they were unhappy about and change it. He didn’t take that path. (I will admit this might work for some, might not work for others). What he did was try to find small things that make him happy and focus more on those things. He started to run more, go to church more, found more groups to belong to that interested him etc.

I then started to also think more about this, I do read now but I read different things, in the morning I read the newspaper and I definitely read more blogs now. I also have been playing the piano for months now on a regular basis so I read music. I am doing those small things that make me happy. I will always like to read but right now my interests have changed slightly and I am sure they will change again soon.

Moral of the story: maybe sometimes we don’t need big changes to improve things in our life; maybe sometimes it’s just the little changes that matter.

How To Buy Wine

When I first started writing this blog I thought I would stick to a couple topics. I have realized over the last couple of months that my blog has become very random. So here are some random things from this week...

1. I let a gallon of milk go bad. I don’t think I have ever done that in my whole life.

2. People no longer make comments about my first name being “weird” it’s now my last name. Thank you Edward.

3. One of my friends told me this week that when she was in her 30's her mom told her she tried to abort her by riding a horse daily while she was in her first trimester. Apparently that was a myth back in the day. (Honestly I thought it was funny, she laughed but that is totally horrible to tell someone)

4. My friend just moved to PA and she informed me that in PA when you buy a six pack of beer it comes in 7oz bottles and all liquor stores are run by the State but all DMV’s are run independently. It is also illegal to sing in the bathtub. Welcome to PA.

Wine Part 6 brought to you by Quamut:

How to Buy Wine

Like I said before in some states you buy wine in a supermarket or wine stores while in other states local laws say you can only by from specialty stores.

Supermarkets

Pros – Good prices on wines

Cons – Limited in selection usually only has wines from large wineries, also many supermarkets improperly store their wines upright (dries out the cork).

Wine Stores

They suggest finding a good wine store to broaden your wine scope and then ask for advice from the people who work at the store.

Good Selection: The wine in stock should range across different wine types, regions and/or origins, and price.

Good Service: If someone makes you feel dumb for asking questions. Find someone else.

Expertise: Ask someone who has first hand knowledge of tastes and qualities of the wines in the store, they will be able to recommend different wines. They will be able to pick a wine based on your preference of taste, structure or texture. If they recommend a bunch of wines you do not like, find someone else.

Proper storage conditions: Make sure your wine is stored in a cool, dry, dark, constant conditions. Not in direct sunlight or near a cooling source. Wines should be NOT be stored upright.

Good prices: Most time you are willing to spend extra money out of loyalty and appreciation of a certain wine. Be sure to check to make sure the store prices have not been exorbitant.

Wine Rating:
The wine industry rating is as follows, good wine stores should post ratings next to the wines they sell.

95-100 = Extraordinary
90-95 = Excellent
85-89 = Very Good
80-84 = Above Average
75-79 = Average
70-74 = Below Average
69 or below = Poor

If you find a cheap wine with a high rating you may have found a steel. Quamut says to keep in mind that the ratings reflect someone else's taste, and taste is subjective. Just because the rating is high doesn't mean it will be your favorite.

It's been a pleasure helping you today.

I have realized many of the new blogs I am coming across are written by middle aged women with kids. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that, but how do I compete against a cute kid who with bows in her hair. Yes this is a competition. I don’t really know how but trust me I can make it one.



On a totally different note - Day in the life of an Event Planner....

The other day I had an interesting conversation with someone on the phone. He called to get some information and then proceeded to lecture me on phone etiquette. A guy calls in and is looking for a restaurant but he doesn’t know the name restaurant or really the type of food they serve, so I ask him how he knows of this restaurant and he says he may have seen something on food network.

My first thought: Why are you calling us? But the conversation went as followed...

Me: Ok, can I put you on hold for one second while I look up something online?
Him: Don’t time stamp me?
Me: I am sorry what did you say?
Him: You should never time stamp. You said one second when you are fully aware that it is going to take more than one second to look up something.
Me: Oh, well…ok…can I put you on hold?
Him: Yes you can.
Me: (I come back). Ok sir well I am not really finding anything, but I do have another organization you can call that deals specifically with restaurants and they might be able to help you more. Here is the number.
Him: Thank you very much for your help, you were very helpful.
Me: You are welcome, have a good day.
Him: Wrong again.
Me: Huh?
Him: You are supposed to say “it has been a pleasure helping you today”
Me: Ok....It has been a pleasure helping you today, goodbye.

I am not kidding about 2 hours later I get a call transferred to me and its him letting me know that he found the restaurant and said if he ever came downtown for lunch he would call me to see if I wanted to go to the Pasty Shack with him.

My response: It was a pleasure helping you today, goodbye.

Ps. Happy Birthday Brittany!!!

How to be a Millionaire

I am watching the US Open Championship and wanting to go back to Scotland. I think about all of the fun I had when I studied abroad and wish I could travel back sometime soon. The problem I have now is lack of time and money. That being said I spoke with a financial planner last week, I am going to meet with him soon to discuss how I can become a millionaire. I look at it this way, I want to work hard but when I stop working I want to have money to travel and do other fun activities.

I started to look into it and found out how I could make it happen. Here is what we discussed: Find a mutual fund through an investment firm with low fees, choose a ROTH IRA and he said that if I start saving $200 a month and increase that amount as I get older that by 65 I should be a millionaire. I figure if I can increase even more maybe I can be a millionaire by 50. He gave me some figures to reach for...by age 35 have about $50,000 saved plus a 401(k). Then by 45 I should have around $150,000 and by 55 ill have $400,000 and by 65 you are a millionaire. Easy as that! Let’s just say I will be looking more into it and doing some research so I can ask questions when I meet with him.

I have also thought about just winning the lottery and making millions…. that’s my alternative plan….ill keep you posted.

If anyone else has any ideas on how to become a millionaire please let me know.

Callies Personal Ad

My friend Callie told me that I should write a blog about her. What I took from that is she wanted me to write her a personal ad and post it on my blog to help her find a man. I would like to think that I know her pretty well and I know what she is looking for. So here goes nothing…enjoy (hope you like it Calico)

ABOUT HER:
Name:Callie

Age: 24

Color Hair: Blond

Height: 5’9

Education Level: Masters Degree

Career: Has a job with benefits

Location: East Coast

About Her: Likes to play with babies, enjoys touching peoples faces, sleeping in the shower, taking long showers, talking, having good personal hygiene, hanging out with family, has the ability to watch a movie for an hour and a half and miss the last 20 min of the film, strong belief that life is meant for 2, non smoker, great sense of humor, family and friend are very important to her, enjoys travel, loves Jesus, people usually describe her as a “spark plug”; she knows how to speak her mind, loves to love, likes John and Kate plus 8, oh and knows how to castrate


ABOUT HIM: (What she is looking for)

Age: 24-30

Hair Color: All types

Height: Taller than 5’10

Education Level: Bachelors degree or better

Location: East Coast

Looking For: A man who only has eyes for her, someone who can make her laugh, someone who can love her for who she is, someone who is smart and cute, someone who is generous in all aspects of life (love family friends), love for God, someone who is self confident and interesting, liberal minded, non smoker, financially independent, thoughtful, emotionally stable, down to earth, someone who is huggable, enjoys exploring their inner spirituality, is caring, likes learning about different cultures, oh and likes long walks on the beach and good conversation


*If anyone else wants me to write a personal ad for them please let me know

Wine Weddings & Wizards

I thought about what I wanted to do for my next blog. My dad sent me as sweet video for all of you who enjoy a nice bottle of wine. I am thinking about trying it sometime next week when I get back from San Francisco. I will hopefully tape it and show you know if it really works or not.

HERE ARE SOME LINKS AND A SWEET PICTURE!!!

http://www.wimp.com/wineshoe/

Wine link I was talking about above! (Sorry the link wasnt working you are going to have to do it old school and cut and paste)



My friends Steph and Kyle on their wedding day last weekend...oh and my roommate/friend Lauren as the MOH!

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-new-trailer-marks-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-the-harry-potter-movies.html

Harry Potter Trailer!! Yes I love Harry Potter!! So excited!!

No Prob Bob

Random Thought 1: I found myself reading different blogs last week, let me tell you it can be very addicting. You really feel like you get to know people. I now need to get back on track with writing my blog. I take piano lessons and my teacher last week told me that I need to work on my tempo. Like all good procrastinators I waited till the night before my lesson to practice. I find myself enjoying playing once I start because I can see that I am getting better each week. There is nothing like a guy who’s 5 years younger looking down on you if you don’t practice. I realized though that tempo is hard. I would say I am above a starter but not an expert somewhere in the middle. I can read music and follow it (for the most par). Moral of the story: practice really does make perfect.

Random Thought 2: I was at work and one of our ambassadors came into the office and asked for a pen because he was attending a meeting and forgot one. I gave him a pen and after the meeting he came back and the conversation went as followed:

Him: Thanks for the pen.
Me: No prop Bob
Him: My name is Eric not Bob (as he is heading for the elevator)
Me: No…wait…it’s a phrase…I mean a saying....I know your name…sorry
Him: Yeah ok crazy

Ok, he really didn’t say that he just said oh ok and walked away. Moral of the story I no longer say “no prob bob” to anyone at work. I guess I am the only one who says that??

BUY HER BOOK!

I wanted to let everyone know about another blogger who I follow. Her name is Blair and she is from Wisconsin but now lives in Chicago. She has a super funny blog that I follow and think everyone else should too. http://www.blairmilne.com/ . The reason for the post is because she is 25 years old and has written a couple books but one just got published. Which I think is a cool thing to say you have done. If you go on her site you can read more about her and also purchase her book. Please check it out. Thanks

Heat vs Computer

It is starting to get very hot outside. I have realized since moving to California that I don’t do very well in the 90-110+ degree weather. I am still not used to walking outside and having the first thing you do be gasp for air. Dry heat is a killer. It also doesn’t help that I have a problem with over heating. I blame it on the fact that I don’t sweat well, which is nice because I don’t have smelly arm pits like some people do but its bad because my body decides to keep all of the hotness inside me and I just get over heated and feel like I am going to pass out at any moment. In some cases I do, like when I went to Walt Disney World with my friends years ago, I passed out in a McDonalds workers arms. (I was heading there for some water which was kind of funny after getting off a ride) That wasn’t even the worst of it the rest of the trip my friends treated me like the sick child and made me carry a big water bottle around and every 15 minutes told me to drink (I do thank them for keeping me hydrated). Maybe Alaska would have been a better place for me to move.

Now on a different note some people have asked about my computer and by some people I mean one but who is counting. I don’t know if it’s the heat or the fact that I have a love hate relationship with Best Buy but I felt like this is a story should be told. If you know me at all you know I love Best Buy. It is one of my favorite stores and used to be my favorite till I went to Geek Squad a number of years ago. FACT: I have little to no faith in Geek Squad. The first time I brought my computer in for problems I got it back with more problems then when I started and was charged an arm an a leg. The problem with Geek Squad is:d

1. I know exactly what they are going to say before they say it. “We are not going to be able to fix the problem here or tell you what the problem are, we are going to have to ship it off some place and charge you 100 bucks”
2. When we ship it off they may or may not be able to fix it. The $100 you are paying for is to figure out the problem then we will ask you if you want to fix it for another $400 (give or take)

So you might be asking “why go back?” and I have to admit that is a good question. Well a couple weeks ago I was having problems with my computer not charging. I would plug the charger into the computer and nothing. I soon realize I have 3 options, contact HP, Geek Squad, or call a friend. Well I called a friend and that didn’t help. The problem with HP is they don’t have a location to go to so I would have to send it in. I realized I should try Geek Squad and maybe they would surprise me, if not I would just send it to HP.

Here is how the conversation went with the guy from Geek Squad:

Him: What it the problem?

Me: My computer will not charge when I plug it in.

Him: Ok well it could be the computer not talking to your computer or it could be the inside of your computer. I am not sure, what we can do for you is ship it off to LA for $100 and then they will be able to let you know what is wrong.

Me: What do you guys fix here? I see computer behind you but every time I come in you tell me you have to ship my computer off to some place else. (I could tell he was not expecting that)

Him: Well we do a lot of initial programming for computers back here.

Me: (I wanted to say “so nothing”) Well could you maybe give it a guess and tell me what you think the problem might be and how much it would cost.

Him: Well it could be a lot of things and the price would range anywhere between 200-800 dollars to fix. Depending on what the problem is you might want to look into buying a new computer

Me: (Now I am frustrated) I was thinking maybe it was just the power cord. Do you have a universal cord back there that we could test the computer?

Him: (Looking at my cord) It doesn’t look like your cord has any damage too it, but if you want to try it we can. Can you please hold on I need to finish fixing this computer behind me.

Basically what ends up happening is he brings a universal cord and plugs it in and it works perfectly.

Me: It is a good thing I didn’t ship my computer off for them to tell me all I need is a new power cord.

Him: Yeah…I am sorry about that I really didn’t think it was the cord. Here is a cord that you can buy.

So the good thing is my computer works now, I just wish the internet would work at my house but that’s a whole other story.

PS. I would like to hear from anyone who either works at Geek Squad and or has used Geek Squad if they have any stories. I am sure they can be helpful to some people but they are like 0 for 4 for me.

How to order Wine at a Restaurant?

Wine Part 5 brought to you by Quamut:

How to order Wine at a Restaurant? I sat and thought about it for awhile and some might disagree with me on this one but I think that ordering wine is the trickiest alcohol to order when in a public setting.

Here is my thought. Beer although there are a lot of flavors people usually will only have a few choice on tap and they don’t vary in age of the beer and beer drinkers typically know what they like. Hard alcohol is the same, there are a variety of choices but the flavor stays consistent and so do peoples choices in what they drink. Wine on the other hand is different because you first have two choices White or Red. Then from there you have to pick between the Wine Varietals (Chardonnay, Muscat, Pinot Noir etc), then the year, price, country of origin and or body of the wine. Some might say that I am wrong and maybe I just don’t know enough about beer or hard alcohol, but its my blog so I am going with it.

Ok, now where was I…let’s see I was talking about How to Order Wine at a Restaurant? They say that the first question before you even pick your wine is to think about if you want a glass or the bottle. So I guess if you are their alone you might want a glass (or a bottle if you want to have a good time). Here are some things Quamut says to ask yourself.

1. If your table wont drink a full bottle
2. If you want more than one wine during dinner
3. If you and your dinner companion(s) are ordering foods that are difficult to pair with a single wine

Then the next thing after you realize you are getting the bottle because lets be honest its cheaper that way is to think about the type of wine you want. There are two different choices House Wine or a Wine List. House Wines are the wines that you ask for and you don’t give them any other description other than you want Red or White wine. Quamut says that House Wines are usually acceptable but never extraordinary. This is because a mass amount of people need to like it so a lot of times its nothing too special. Typically its served in a Carafe (wide-necked vessel that holds a bottle’s worth of wine) for house wines.

Then you have the Wine list, this list can vary between 15-150 types, you never really know. The wine list will then have the following: name of the wine, the winery that produced it, the vintage, and the price. They are usually separated by White Wines and Red Wines. Quamut suggests that you pick a wine you have never drank before but you know the type of grape variety, you may also tell the person serving you what you like and have them suggest something for you. If you are at a fancy place you can always ask the Sommelier.

The wine serving Ritual is as follows:
1. The waiter presents you the bottle (check to make sure it’s the right one)
2. The waiter will remove the cork for you (make sure the cork looks fresh and the wine isn’t rotten)
3. The waiter pours a little into your wine glass (sniff and taste the wine)
4. If the wine is good so tell the waiter to filler-up! Haha

Brought to you by Quamute

This is a problem/solution brought to you by Jenna

Problem: My friends boyfriend likes to flirt with me and make me feel extremely uncomfortable

Solution: Avoid him like the plague (thanks Jo)

Just Call me Norah Jones

I woke up today feeling like it’s the month to make a change in my life. I thought today was a good day to get out and try something new. Today was a good day to open my eyes to something I have never done before. (Reading my first sentence I want to make it clear I am not addicted to anything or have any bad habits) I am not sure if it is because we had a 3 day weekend so I got a lot of rest but I woke up thinking “wow today is the day”.

While taking the elevator up to the third floor where I work I was asking myself “What can I do today that’s different” and “What can I do to be more productive today?” Then I sat down at the front desk and my excitement and enthusiasm for the day went from 10 to 5 in a matter of one phone call. At work we deal with politics sometimes and I had someone call in (because yes I switched days now I am at the front desk on Tuesdays) and ask me why we didn’t make a stance against some Bill and went on to explain how mad she was that we said “no opinion”. I listened to what she had to say and then I told her I would tell someone how she felt. I felt a little guilty because the problem is no one here could help her, that decision was made by a board of directors made up of volunteers, but I just gave her an email address to complain too and she went on her way.

It is ok though because things turned around because I got a lot done at work and then after work I had piano lessons (yes if you want to know, I am going to be the next Norah Jones). I am also planning a new work out program to get big GUNS. My goal right is to be able to arm wrestle people and win. (Right now I am lifting the pole but soon I will be putting weight on it). That being said I am realizing that it’s not so much changing life but some little things in life.

I am going to start with a problem/solution section for my blog. Today’s problem and solution is brought to you by my friend Anna.

Today’s Problem: Mikes Hard Lemonade used to be me and my friends favorite drink back in high school. Now I don’t think any of us can take down one of them because they are so sweet.

Anna’s solution: Add a shot of Jose Cuervo into the Mikes Hard.

Thank you Anna for supporting my Problem and Solution segment and if anyone else is interested in shooting me a problem and solution please contact me.

Public Market Center

I have to apologize for not writing a blog recently. It seems like the days are just flying by and I don’t know where they go. The funny thing is I have a few people who I check their blogs daily and I always thing to myself on the days they don’t write 1. Why didn’t they write today and what could they be doing right now that was more important that blogging? The other thing that has been preventing me from blogging is I have been working on that video post I promised and it is just taking me a little big longer than expected.

Last but definitely not least I have been having computer issues. My computer is not charging properly and shuts down on me all the time. IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY. Not only annoying but its frustrating and needs to be fixed but I am waiting till it crashes totally before I go into Geek Squad and have them tell me its going to be hundreds just to find out the problem and then hundreds more to fix it. (If you own a MAC I know I know)

Long story short I am attempting to be a more proactive blogger because I really do love blogging. I know maybe only 10 people will read this but so far no one has told me to stop so I am going to keep going but I am encountering minor road blocks in my way.

Now I will write on a little segment I like to call “Wednesdays at the front desk”.

Me: (Company Name) How can I help you?
Woman: I need you to find me a good choir or gospel choir. I am going to be passing away soon and I want them to sing at my funeral.
Me: (It my head) My first thought was wow what would I do if I knew I was going to die? My second thought was I would not be calling us. My third thought and maybe should have been my first thought. That’s really sad, I am sorry to hear that.
Me: (What came out) That’s horrible, I am so sorry.
Woman: That’s ok, I am at peace with it. I have been a singer all of my life, I sang down in Southern California and well I don’t trust my kids or sister to find me someone good.
Me: (In my head) Typically I wouldn’t help this case because it has nothing to do with what I do, but since she is dying its hard to say no.
Me: Ok well let me see what I can do for you. Do you have internet access?
Woman: No
Me: Ok well let me find some numbers for you to call, how much are you willing to pay?
Woman: As much as it takes, I want people to walk away and think “wow that was great” and I know my kids won’t make that happen they will find someone cheap.
Me: Ok well here are a few numbers I found for you, I hope they work out.

Next Call:
Me: (Company Name) How can I help you?
Man: I used to work for you, I am walking and I am three blocks away. Please let BLANK know that I am coming. Hangs up
Me to my CoWorker: I had a man on the phone, I think he is either out of breath or has been drinking.

Turns he was just old. Haha

Ok, more to come soon, promise!!!

SPUD

I was watching some kids play outside after work and it made me realize how much I miss being a kid. I loved playing outside, being free, and meeting up with all the kids around the neighborhood. I really enjoyed playing capture the flag, kick the can and SPUD. I have decided that I am going to try to bring those games back if I can. Too bad when people “play” at my age, drinking is involved which makes people lose interest really fast.

I think back to those times but then I also think about all of the crap that comes with being young; feeling very self conscious because you’re a skinny little white girl, all the homework, and not knowing who you really. So when I see the little girl riding her bike with a squirt gun in hand I say “that was fun but I am glad to be where I am now”. I have been thinking a lot about that lately, where I am now and what I want out of life. It is hard not to think about it, I am at a point in my life where if I told someone I was getting married it really wouldn’t be that weird. I still might get a few “wow you are young” but I wouldn’t have anyone in my family not coming to the wedding because they didn’t approve of my age. That being said I want to make this clear I am not getting married anytime soon.

Talking to a friend the other night made me realize that I still am young. I think the main thing to think about is that you only live once so you don’t want to pass up opportunities. This goes for everyone, don't be that person who passes opportunities by. The hard part sometimes is seeing those choices and choosing the right path to take. Then again who says one path is right or wrong, maybe they are just different. Maybe the hard part is just making that new choice?

My friend also pointed out that you can’t always look at the big picture and sometimes it’s the little things in life that make you happy. I was reading another blog and the writer was talking about how she uses video blogs and thought to myself: I used to do that all the time with my friends and I should get back into that. I should make short videos and post them on my blog. So that is my goal I am setting for myself to write up a script and put a short video together and post it to my blog. Maybe it will be about a Penguin at the zoo or short clips of different vineyards. So that being said I have realized that although thinking is good sometimes…sometimes you just need to live.

Wednesday’s are special

Sometimes I think my life is weird. That is until I sit at the front desk at work. Today was again one of those days were I sit and think to myself “wow people are special”.

Story 1

Her – I have a really weird question to ask you.
Me – Ok, well how can I help you?
Her – I need to find a guy named Frank and I can’t find him.
Me - PAUSE
Me – Ok well who is Frank and why do you need to find him?
Her- I graduated with him and I am trying to find him for our class reunion.
Me – Ok, can you give me the company he works for or anymore information about him?
Her- Well, I contacted his 97 year old father who told me that he is stops in once a year for a day at a time.
Me- Ok
Her- I was told he works for a Circus. I do not know what circus he works for and that is what I am trying to figure out. I did check Google. Do you have the number for a Circus?
Me- Well I have the numbers for a couple Circuses but I am not sure if I am the right person to contact about this.
Her – Well I don’t even know if this guy is alive still or not. I just need to find him.
Me – Here are some numbers I found, you might what to try these people.

Story 2

Her – I was told there is a bear in my neighborhood. I was wondering if you could call me when I am safe to come outside again.
Me – What?
Her – Here is my number please call me when it is safe to come out.

Story 3

Him – A guy left his dog outside and I don’t see any food or water by the dog.
Me – Ok, well….
Him – (Not lying) Do you know what time the guy is coming home? I am just really worried about the dog. What should I do?
Me – I am not sure, maybe you could put water by the dog.
Him – Thanks, ok, bye.


Story 4

Her – My daughter is missing and I was told the Chamber of Commerce would help arrange a search party for her.
Me – Have you called 911?
Her – Yes and I don’t think they are doing anything
Me- I am not the person you should speak with, let me find out who you should talk with.

Good thing I am only at the front desk for one day a week.

My New Approach To Gain New Followers...

Until you write a blog you don’t realize all of these different things you can do. From my blog you are able to read many other blogs and you start to appreciate the people who are able to blog everyday. I have realized that for people to make comments on my blog and to follow my blog I need to make it a lot more “intense” (like camping). That is going to be my goal. I have been trying to read a lot of other people’s blogs in hopes to gain some ideas while keeping my own style (if I even have a style). I hope then my followers will go from 7 (thank you to those 7 people) to 70 (my goal). I am still trying to think of what I am going to do if I reach my goal. I will let you know.

I came across one blog that had music attached. I thought that was pretty cool until I got about half way though reading the blog, then it got old.

Approach 1. I came across a person who writes poems. He had 200+ followers. I thought I would try.

Light Bulb
My light bulb is broken
Oh what should I do?
Some may say buy a new one
My light bulb is broken
I forget to buy new
So now I sit with candles
My light bulb is broken
The end.

What can I say I have a gift and yes that was a true story (poem).

Approach 2. I came across a blog where someone took a picture and then they explain the picture to everyone, who was in it and what they were thinking when they took it. This lady had 300+ followers.



Here is the story for this picture. For my birthday I took my three Italian friends to Napa. We joked many times that their tour guide around Napa was from Wisconsin but I think I held my own. On a side note, spending much time in both Napa and Sonoma I can say that Sonoma is in fact better.

As my friend Dwight would say: FACT: Sonoma is better.

The picture is funny because when we got to the first vineyard we were looking at the flags, the conversation went like this:

Me: Oh do you want to take a picture of the California flag with the American flag?
Them: I guess
Me: Oh we don’t need to walk on the road we can just walk on the grass to get closer to the flags. (This is why we are known as lazy Americans)

We get about half way out when I realize that it is in fact very wet and muddy. They end up getting mud all over their shoes. The conversation went as followed:

Me: What are you guys talking about in Italian? (This was me the whole day, huh what? ha ha)
Them: Oh how funny you are, how this is a good story
Me: Oh, thanks?
Them: Would you mind taking a picture of our feet?



That is what I think about when I look at these pictures.

My "Lucky" Day

Question: Today is one of the best days of the year. St. Patrick’s Day! It is a great day because my roommate is making corn beef and cabbage and we are going to drink beer and watch American Idol. What could get better?

Answer: Ok, a lot of things; it’s still pretty good though.

I don’t usually talk about work but today was one of those days that I just need to speak about. While at work I sometimes have to answer phones. Unless it’s a direct call, for me to get a phone call it has to go though 4 other people in the rotation and then it hits me but only on Wednesdays. I know complicated. So today was my lucky day (Irish) and I got to answer the phone 6 times.

I love to answer the phone because it always challenges me, when people call they usually want to know 2 things:

1. They are either just moving to Sacramento and want more information and or
2. They live in Sacramento and don’t know how to use Google and or
3. They ask a really weird question no one can answer

I am told that I should do two things:

1. Try to answer the question
2. Try to avert the question, let them call someone else to answer it

This blog is going to be about 2 of the calls I had today.

The first person who called started the call off with:

Him - I want to work on a beach, how can you make that happen?
Me - Well what do want to do?
Him- I want to work on a beach and sell kites and sunglasses. I think I need a permit to be able to do that.
Me- What beach do you want to sell kites on?
Him- Well I am thinking maybe southern California like Monterey
Me- (Why are you calling me?) Oh ok well, are you going to also have an office there?
Him- No I am from CO this is just a thought I had today but I think I need a permit to work on the beach.
Me- Ok well I am going to send you some information on who you can talk too.
Him- Alright yea that sounds good and if I change my mind on the location, I will call you back tomorrow and let you know.

The second person who called started the call off with:

Her- Hello I am calling and I don’t know if you are the right person to talk too but I wanted to make something clear to you; there are no more good restaurants left in Sacramento for women.
Me- Ok
Her- I don’t like Applebee’s. Then my favorite restaurant closed about 3 years ago and that made me very mad. Do you know how sexist the advertisements are for restaurants now? They are all geared towards men. Do they not understand that women don’t want to eat stake all the time? How old are you?
Me- 24
Her- See back in my time women fought for women’s rights. Your generation just sits back and lets this happen.
Me- Ok
Her- And let me tell you something else, I moved here from New York 30 years ago and I went to LA once and I hate LA. I do not want Sacramento to turn into LA.
Me- Ok so I am sorry but what exactly are you asking me?
Her- Haven’t you been listening to me? What can you do for me to make more good restaurants open up in this area? I don’t want to be a target of sexism.
Me- I am sorry you feel this way. I am going to give you the number for the California Restaurants Association and they can help you.
Her- Ok well I guess that will work, but don’t people come to you and ask you if they can put their restaurant here.
Me- No, no one has asked me that. The Restaurant Association will be able to help you.
Her- Ok I guess that will work. Thank you.

I will enjoy it when I am older!

Question: At what age after 21 do you go from having your birthday at a bar with your friends to a birthday going rock climbing with your friends?

Answer: Age 24

Getting older to me is not a bad thing but at the same time I don’t like getting older. I will explain.

Ever since I was a little kid I have been shorter, right there that just makes you look younger; again not a bad thing.

Ever since I was a little kid I have been skinny, right there that just makes you look younger; again not a bad thing.

Here is the part that I don’t like when you are 24 years old and people still think you are 16.

Here are my stories:

Story 1 – Age 19. My friend Anna and I were on vacation and we started talking to this to this t-shirt guy, we started looking at his stand with t-shirts and he says “what are two 14 year olds doing out of school?” We walked away.

Story 2 – Age 20 – I am standing in line with my mom and I bought a CD (I know who buys CD’s anymore?) Not really thinking about it I stand in front of the line even though she is paying and the cashier asks me for an ID for the CD because you have to be 15. Now my mom being the quick wit she is says “oh that’s very kind of you" and starts to pull out her ID.

Story 3 – Age 21 – I was standing with a friend of mine who is older but only by a couple years and we were going out that night. I got all dressed up and what I learned over the years is that you can’t wear your hair up because that also makes you look younger so I was wearing my hair down and looking good. We sat down for some drinks and these guys came up to us and the conversation went as followed:

Guy: How old are you guys?

Us: 21 and 25

Guy: No way are you really 21, I bet my friend that you got in with a fake ID; I am going to have to go back to the table and tell everyone.

Story 4 – Age 22 –I still to this day get asked for my ID at some R rated movies. That being said I remember this one time in particular. She asked for my ID and here are my next two thoughts

Thought 1: Oh I am sorry I should have know, oh wait I am at a movie not a bar.

Thought 2: You have got to be kidding me? I am 22 years old.

I said thought 2 out loud and the young lady behind the counter said “well you don’t look 22” BURN! Enough said this coming from someone who is 15.

Story 5 - Age 23: I was out shopping and trying on different clothes that I really shouldn’t be trying on because I am trying to save money for a new car. That being said I just started a new job and I thought “hey I should buy a new shirt”. The lady checking me out at the counter then asked the dreaded question “so how old are you?” Now usually I have two ways of going about this question. I either answer the question right away and then they say “no you’re not BLANK” or my favorite “you look so young, well you will enjoy that when you are older”.

The other way you can answer is by saying “how old do you think I am?” Usually I just tell them but for some reason I wanted to put this woman in the hot seat. She said well you look like my niece, so I would guess 22 or 23. After my shock wore off that she was correct I said 23 and walked out of the store with a smile on my face.

Tomorrow I turn 24; I will keep you updated on what this year brings.

Actually Living Life

So I have had a couple people ask me when I was going to write my next blog on the book “The Passion Test” by Janet Bray Attwood (thanks for reading my blog by the way) and Chris Attwood. This will be part two.

Every morning when I wake up I look in the mirror in my bathroom and I see a postcard that says “What am I doing to be more productive today?” I put it up there because I fell like it is an important question to ask yourself every day. It reminds me to live life, because sometimes I find myself just living in the motions of life.

Like I said before this book was very interactive from the start. After stating my top five passions, I then had to break down each of the passions creating different “markers”.

Passion: Maintaining Healthy Relationships

Markers:
- I love myself (only when you love yourself can you love others)
- I am an honest and a good friend daily
- I listen to others and am not selfish
- I work hard at keeping peace and happiness with those who I love

I then did that for my other 4 passion I have listed creating my markers.

The book states that “Everything made by man is created first in someone’s mind; then it becomes manifest in the world”. The book gives the example of the light bulb and Thomas Edison. This brings me to the next part of the book Intention, Attention and No Tension.

Intention is the choice to create. This brings me back to my passions, by writing down what my passions are and by visualizing them, they become my Intention. I am choosing to focus on those things in my life; the authors write “your results will always match your true intentions”.

Attention is what you are actually doing or the awareness to do. The book says that many people do habitual things everyday. Have you ever had a day where you get up and drive somewhere and think to yourself “how did I get here?” By creating new healthy productive goals/habits you can grow stronger. The books states you only need 21 days to create a new habit. So set goals and stick to them.
Ie. Getting more exercise, enjoying what I do, and seeking out fun activities

The Attwood’s say to “put your attention on all the good in your life, deal with the situations that must be dealt with and don’t dwell on anything that doesn’t support what you choose to create” that “laziness is a mask for the fear of failure”. By posting different questions on my mirror it reminds me what I really want to put my attention on.

The last thing is No Tension – “means exactly that. Creating intentions and putting your attention on them is a simple, easy, effortless process.” You don’t want to have to force yourself to do these things you want in life. So if you are unhappy then make it your intention and attention on being happy.

Ok, more to come later.

How I think sometimes…

I am sitting here watching the Olympics and thinking a couple of different things:

1. How cool it would be to win an Olympic gold medal.
2. How cool it would be to tell your kids/friends you were an Olympian
3. How can I become the next Simon Ammann (Gold medalist in ski jumping)?
4. Am I going to be able to finish this blog before my laundry is done?

My thoughts then started to go in different directions. I asked myself if I would be more of a summer Olympian, winter Olympian or both. I came to the conclusion that I like both of them so for this blog I am going to compete in both summer and winter Olympics. I thought about this for awhile and I think I am going to be a winter Olympian in ski jumping and a summer Olympian in sand volleyball.

The reasons:
I picked ski jumping because it just looks like a sweet sport and something I could do. If you know me at all you know I don’t like spinning so snowboarding and ice skating are out of the picture. I figure the lighter you are in ski jumping the farther you fly and the idea of flying is awesome. So I will drive to Tahoe next weekend to start my training.

I picked sand volleyball because the girls are so in shape and sand volleyball players just always look so cool. I don’t mind sand either so I think that will be a good fit for me, and again very little spinning and you get to be in the sun. It’s starting to be sunny again where I live so training for that won’t be a problem. I just have to see if Lauren will let me put some sand in her back yard. Other than that I am golden….well hopefully if you get what I mean.

The problem is this:
I blame my parents for not pushing me at the age of 3 to pursue my dreams of being a ski jumper and sand volleyball star. That being said I will have to start my Olympic dreams a little later than usual. I was watching the Olympics and they did a spot on the Swiss ski team and how at a very young age you go to a special ski school and it’s basically a training spot for the Olympics. My parents blew that one….so I guess I am going to have to do it on my own.

I will let you know how things turn out in these next couple of weeks. First I need to find a coach to train me.

Next stop….the Olympics!!

How things have changed...

I got an assignment at work to go to the capital and pick up something from someone (names are not important for the story). The capital is maybe a 2 min drive from my office but that being said at the time I was not sure how big the package was going to be so I drove. I got there and parking was crazy, apparently every High School in California was visiting’s it that day. As I walked though security to get in (Arnold is a big deal come on) I noticed a group of girls and thought to myself.

“So many skinny jeans, are those in? What happened to the bell bottoms?”

“Did I really giggle that much?”

“People still block all the major hallways so it’s really uncomfortable for people to walk”

I was waiting for the elevator to go up to the top floor and I overheard some girls saying:

Girl - He told me he wanted to take things to the next level.

Girl 2- So what did you say?

Girl – That I would think about it.

Me – I said to myself (In High School to me the next level was making out in my parents hot tub. I wonder what she is talking about. I wanted to tell her to “be good and if you can’t be good be safe” but I didn’t. I moved on…I just hope I don’t see her on Teen Mom anytime soon.)

I thought about when I was in High School and something would happen and I thought it was the end of the world. I look back and laugh. Ha ha ha. My roommate and I talked about if we could go back in time what we would do a) change things b) keep it the same c) wouldn’t want to go back. I have come to realize I am a mix of all three. I think I would change some, keep some and I would not want to go back.

What about you?

Montelena Chardonnay 1973

Wine Part 4 brought to you by Quamut:

The other day I watched the movie Bottle Shock, which came out in 2008. It takes place in 1976 when a Sommelier from Paris comes to the United States to host a blind taste test in Napa Valley against French wines. If you have not seen it I would recommend it, very informational of how United States got on the map in the wine world.

Definition: Bottle-shock is a temporary condition of wine characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are given an additional dose of sulfur (in the form of sulfur dioxide or sulfite solution), and are subject to other forms of handling and transport. After a few weeks, the condition usually disappears. - Wikipedia

It can be very hard to understand wine, there are so many different varieties that sometimes you don’t understand what you are drinking or ordering. I have been on many wine tours since moving to California being so close to Sonoma and Napa. I went out to dinner with a friend and when the waitress asked us what kind of wine we wanted, my friend order a red wine and the conversation went as followed:

Waitress – That is a very popular choice and many people love to eat it with red meats or pasta. It is a great French wine, good choice.

Me – What kind of grape is this wine made from? (She just sounded like she knew a lot about the wine)

Waitress - Well I think it’s a red grape

Me – Oh, ok, Thanks… (I no longer thought she knew what she was talking about)

New World:
I remember coming home that day thinking ill do some research, I never did…till now. Quamut says that wines that are grown in the United States, South America, and Australia are “varietals” meaning that they are “named after the variety of grape they contain.” They name the wine after the greatest factor of the wine the grape itself. That being said if you buy a Pinot Noir it’s a good bet it’s a Pinot Noir grape.

If only one grape is in a wine it’s named after the “sole grape”. There are also wines that have different “blends” of various grapes. The wine is then named after the “principal grape” or the grape with the most in the particular wine. The rule is whatever grape dominates the wine; the wine is named after that grape. Different states have different requirements regarding percentages it must contain.

Europe:
In Europe things are a little different. The wine is not named after the grape that it is from; instead the wine name comes from the place they were made. The vineyards in Europe have it down to a tee. They know the best place to grow each type of grape, so if you want to make a certain wine there are regulations to where you can grow your grapes. The “place name” in Europe means high standard location and type of grape. A Burgundy then “must be made from Pinot Noir grapes.”

Ok, I will expand more on this soon.

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water." - Steven Spurrier

Information from Quamut

When you are clear

A couple weeks ago I read a book called The Passion Test. I was never a really big fan of the self help section but I had some time and took a look. As my family will contest I have always tried certain things and while I was trying them I would call it “my passion”. Let’s see I can list some of my “passions” I have had over the years: piano, basketball, rollerblading, video making, snowboarding etc. My sister always made fun of me but I think the reason I had so many “passions” (some failed some didn’t) was because I am the type of person where I felt like I never really excelled in anything I was just always good and a lot of different things. Which my mom would say makes me “balanced” but I wanted to excel. During my brief time of unemployment I was able to read a lot and came across the Passion Test.

The book basically told me that I have been wrong my whole life. That the things I called my passions are more hobbies and goals. That being said those things can turn into passions but it sometimes that takes time. The authors Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwoodcreated what they call a “system” of living your passion. Right away you start taking the test. I didn’t really understand how long it was going to take me to read this book because it was also very interactive. At times I had to set down the book and wait days before I could start reading it again.

I started by creating a list of 15 different “passions”. They taught me right away to think BIG because by thinking BIG more will happen. Sitting down I thought of 15 different things and then by the next couple of chapters you have it broken down to your top 5. This was perfect for me because I had no idea what my next step was and they guided me to figure out what is really important in my life right now. The key is to know that your passions will always change and evolve over time. Sometimes you will fulfill your passion and want to advance it and grow from it.

“When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, only to the extent you are clear”

This test is your own; you’re supposed to take it in one sitting usually about 30 min max. The question you first need to answer they say is “When my life is ideal, I am __________.” Close your eyes and make the list. You then go from 15 to 5 by taking one and sizing it up against another one, which is more important.

From this list here are my top passions I came up with:

1. Enjoying my work life
2. Traveling to a new place every year
3. Speaking to small or large groups
4. Doing video taping and editing for fun
5. Maintaining healthy relationships

Here are some parts of the book that stuck with me. “What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life.” By putting attention onto joy, happiness, and growth, those things will come to your life. “Fear is vividly imagining exactly what you don’t want to happen, happening” If you think of a fear or something bad, just say “cancel and replace that thought with something you choose to create”.

Ok, I will keep going on this topic if you would like, let me know if you like it or not because there are more steps.

We have all had them....

So this week I have been through a lot. My last blog was about a final interview that I went on last Monday. I am happy to say I got that job. Although my two month “vacation” has ended, I will no longer be poor anymore which is a plus. I got the offer letter and started 3 days later. So that being said I will still be writing blogs. I hope to be able to put out 2 or 3 a week.

I have promised my friend Steph for a really long time that I would write a blog on good bosses vs. bad bosses.

Bad Boss

1. Don’t let you yawn and if you do threaten that they will make you leave the office
2. Throw things at your head for not looking at them while they are talking
3. Stand outside and slow clap when you show up 2 min late
4. Doesn’t listen to you
5. Thinks they have nothing to learn
6. Swear at you and when you tell them its unprofessional to swear in a work setting they make you leave for the day
7. Clap in your face while you are on the phone with a client and when you tell them to stop they tell you to stop having lip and tell you to apologize.
8. Tells you not to ever ask questions or question them
9. Screams at you when a customer can hear you while you are on the phone
10. Micromanages you
11. Tells you to work harder but they don’t work hard
12. Has bi polar tendencies
13. Doesn’t plagiarize your work
14. They don’t tell someone they need to be more invested when they are never at work
15. When you tell your boss what you had for lunch he doesn’t make a comment about your work performance suffering from it.

Good Boss

1. Tells you start time is 8:00 but understand things happen so as long as you show up by 8:30 its fine, or just call.
2. Lets you be creative and listens to your ideas
3. Doesn’t micromanage you
4. Tells you to ask questions if you have problems
5. Teaches you
6. Respects employees and understand that they are the company’s most important resource
7. A good team leader

How To Not Be Nervous

I had a final round interview today and for some reason I was a little nervous. Now you may be saying “well that’s normal for an interview”. I am not really the type that gets nervous for interviews, I have always been good at public speaking and when it comes to job interviews I look at them like this “either it’s meant to be or it’s not meant to be so why get nervous”. I think the problem was I showed up a little too early so I had some time to chill in my car.

I was in my car and google’ing on my phone “good questions to ask on a job interview” and I had turned on the light inside the car. After reading some "good questions to ask" I looked at the clock and it was about 20 min till my interview started so I thought I would start walking to the building because I was sitting in a parking ramp.

This is where I realized that I was nervous because I was being a little scatter brained. I remembered to turn off the light inside my car because yes I have been that person who leaves it on and comes back to a dead car. I started walking away from the car feeling in control when I realized that I didn’t have my parking ticket. This is a negative I have come across in California you pay at a box at the ground level, not at a person. So I walk back to my car and look all around turning the light back on and not being able to find it.

I am in a pickle because I am unemployed so I can’t afford to pay the $24 dollar for a lost ticket but at the same time I need a job. So I decided to skip looking for it and ill look for it on the way back. Now I am thinking about the interview and about my lost ticket. I lock my door and turn around start walking away when I say to myself shoot the light in my car, I look and it’s on, so I turn back around and turn it off. As I am closing the door, I for some reason also feel to need to make sure the light is off when I close it so as the door closes my head goes forward to look and the tip of the door bangs right into the side of my head.

Now I am worried about my head that hurts, the ticket, getting to the interview on time and the interview. Awesome! I get to the interview and I “check in” and the nice girl at the front desk says “they are running a little late but are you ok?” I said “oh that’s fine” she says “no there is blood coming down the side of your face”. Sure enough I not only hit my head causing me to have a head ache but I also have a bump and blood coming down my face.

I must have looked really embarrassed because she gave me a tissue and said “don’t worry, I wont say anything”. I felt my head and sure enough there was a bump and a little blood coming down. I cleaned up and sat down took some deep breaths and started laughing a little bit because I realized I was no longer nervous for my interview. So if anyone is nervous about something just hit your head. It did the trick for me. I hid the bump with my hair and went into the interview with confidence and I think it went well.

Oh and I also found my parking ticket. haha

Date Gone Wrong

Sometimes I think about dating back in the day. How different it must have been to have a guy court you for starters. I looked into it a little more and the timeline is as follows:

1920-1945: With the Great Depression and WWII many people dated which included going dancing or going to movies.

1945-1960: After the war dating and marriage was more of the norm. Dating would happen in Junior High and then you “go steady” which was followed by most people getting married between the ages of 20-22.

1960-2000: The 60’s started the feminist movement which gave women the sense of empowerment. Dating shows started which helped single people find outlets.

2000-Present: Today is the technology age. Dating is still present but it’s in a different form. There are more long distance relationships, speed dating and less face to face encounters.

That being said I have always been the fan of meeting my boyfriends though friends, which has its pros and cons. I don’t have too many really funny first bad dates but over the years I have heard some great stories of date’s people have gone on that I thought I would share. I am not going to give away any names to protect their dignity haha. I also want to put a disclaimer now the following stories are true but I don’t have the person sitting next time me so it’s as close as I remember them telling me.

Story 1: A friend of mine met a guy (a cop) on an online site and they talked on the phone for awhile to get to know each other. They finally decided to meet up and go out to dinner. The dinner went really well they had good conversation and she felt like they had some sort of connection. After dinner they decided to have a drink back at her place. They were sitting down and drinking some wine when he said he had to go to the bathroom.

This is where the date gets tricky. After about 20 min in the bathroom she started to think something was wrong. She went to the door to see maybe if he was puking from food poisoning or something. She heard nothing and walked back to the living room, after about 30-40 minutes he walked out and says “I can’t do this” and started crying.

While the tears were pouring down his face he lifted his pant leg and had a gun strapped to his leg and said something like “I have a gun”. My friend then thought to her self “I am going to die; this guy has a gun and is crying out of control” She then kept saying over and over “its ok, its ok, do not cry”. He said that it was just too much and that he needed to go home. After he left she closed the door behind him and locked it. Lets jus say there was no second date. I think she did get an email from him a couple week’s later saying he was sorry.

Story 2: My friend went on a date that by the end of the date she thought it was terrible. He ended up calling her again and asking her out. She told him that she thought they were better as friends. A day or so later she gets sent black roses and a card that says “you are such a whore and *ucking *itch”. He didn’t get a call back even as a friend.

Story 3: A friend of mine had met a guy trough a networking group. They had talked a couple of times and he finally asked her out. He picked her up and they went to a coffee shop. The date with this guy started off ok they talked about the city they live in and things they like to do and about work. All of a sudden a girl comes over and taps him on the shoulder. It ended up being his ex-girlfriend. They started talking and he didn’t introduce her or even acknowledge that she was there. His ex walked away and when they got back into the car to drop her off he was just really quiet. She asked him if he was ok, he said “that was my ex, it was a really bad break up and she broke my heart” she ended up spending 20 min consoling him while he cried in his car.

Story 4: A friend met a guy on Match.com. This was new to her but she had not been on a date in awhile and felt the need to get out there. A guy named Tony emailed her saying he was interested in getting to know her a little bit more. They emailed back and forth for awhile, she was a little skeptical to meet him in person but she finally caved in.

He asked her to have drinks and told her the restaurants name. She arrived a little early to scope out the place and when she arrived the hostess asked if her name was ******* she said yes and was told that her date was already here sitting at a table. My friend thought that was kind of weird because he told her drinks. When she met the guy he was dressed up and pulled out her chair for her. The dinner conversation went like this.

Him: How are you doing?

Her: I’m sorry; I thought we were having drinks.

Him: I thought we could get a little food and some drinks.

Her: Ok, well I already ate but I can still do drinks.

Everything seemed fine and she was having a good time. That was until all of a sudden he got really quiet. He stood up in front of everyone and hit his knife to his glass, he told everyone in the restaurant that he had an announcement.

Him: ******* you mean a lot to me, you are funny, nice and beautiful. I would love for you to be my wife (gets down on one knee), will you marry me?

My friend looks around and everyone is staring at her, waiting for her to respond. She looks at him and says.

Her: What are you doing? You don’t even know me?

As someone shouts out “say yes, say yes”

My friend ends up getting up slowly and walking out of the restaurant. She got an email a couple of day’s later saying sorry that his friends put him up to it as a dare, that they were sitting at a table across the way. She never called him back.

Best Way To Taste Wine

So for the past two weeks I have been in Wisconsin for the Holidays and that is why I have not posted a blog in awhile. I am sorry. That being said everything is unpacked from my trip so I am now going to start writing again.

(Wine Part 3 brought to you by Quamut)

So I started out with how wine was made, then I talked about how to talk about wine, part 3 is going to be about HOW TO TASTE WINE. There are specific ways to taste wine and some may say “you don’t need to do that”. This process is necessary so the wine drinker can enjoy the wine to the fullest extent. If you think it looks weird or pointless, think again. Using your different senses enable you to fully enjoy the wine, using the 5 S’s can help you remember how to every time. See, Swirl, Sniff, Swish, and Swallow.

See – When you look at the wine it builds up anticipation of the taste. The “visual attributes” of the wine are important. While looking at the wine in the glass you should take into account:

Clarity and color of the wine.
White Wines – pales green, yellow or deep amber
Red Wines – Dark blue, purple, red, brown
Legs of the wine.
You test the legs of a wine by tilting the wine a little bit on its side and then lay it flat again. Some wines will form “rivulets" which run down the side of the glass, which people call the legs or tears. The legs of a wine show it’s “wine viscosity, or flow, and the rate of evaporation of the alcohol.”

Swirl – When people swirl wine they are working air into the wine, this helps break out the flavors. You want to swirl the wine in the same direction consistently.

Sniff – After the swirl you want to sniff the wine. When you stick your nose into the glass you take a whiff of the aromas. At first it might be hard to pick out the flavors by sniffing but as you sniff more wines it will get easier and you will be able to pick out the oak, fruity and/or other flavors.

Swish – The first taste should be a small mouthful of wine that you swish around for a few seconds in your mouth. The wine has a beginning, middle and end. The different stages create different flavors and textures in your mouth.
Flavors: Sweetness, dryness, sourness
Textures: thickness, thinness, roughness, smoothness

Swallow – When you swallow the wine you don’t want to take a sip again right away. You want to enjoy that sip and figure out the lingering finish of the wine “cleansing, acid crispness lingering on the deep back and sides of the tongue”.

Repeat as followed

By:Quamut