A Question For the Masses

A while back, I mentioned that as soon as my hair was long enough, I was going to cut it, donate it to Locks of Love and come out of the whole experience with a fabulous short haircut. A couple months later than I originally planned, my hair is finally long enough to go through with the original plan, and not a moment too soon. I’m tired of deciding what to do with it every morning. Drying it takes an extra 15-20 minutes out of my morning, not drying it means it’s wet for a good part of the day, and if the weather is cold enough, it freezes the second I walk out the door. I’m tired of shedding two foot long strands around the apartment and my office. At this length, even one strand of hair seems like a lot. It’s a wonder that I still have hair on my head considering how much I leave everywhere I go. Now that the moment has arrived, however, I’m having a bit of a dilemma.

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s just a haircut, but hear me out, okay?

As previously mentioned, I’ve had short haircuts in the past. The shortest was almost 5 years ago, and was by far my favorite haircut. I was all ready to get a very similar haircut, but then I started looking at other, shorter haircuts and I began to reconsider my options. Here’s the thing, though. My medical history has left me with some rather large scars on the back of my head. Just above the bottom of my hairline and slightly to the right sits a backwards seven with a very fat stem area where hair no longer grows. Almost any length of hair would cover up the top part of the seven, but the vertical scar would be very noticeable with hair shorter than four inches. In the past, the thought of ever having a haircut that exposed the scars was never an option. In the last couple of weeks, however, that doesn’t seem like such a horrible thing. It’s not like I would be able to see them. So what if they’re showing a little bit?

The styles that are becoming more and more appealing are ones that would expose the scar to some extent. So, the question I pose to you, my ever faithful readers, is this: do I go with the longer haircut, one which I know works with my hair type and would cover up the scars, or do I say screw it and go with a new, shorter haircut and embrace what I’ve got, even if it’s not exactly the standard for hip, trendy or very pretty? I’m still giving myself a little bit of time to think this over (and to get a little more length, just in case I decide not to go really short). In the meantime, let me know what you think.

Daylight Wasting Time

I used to like Daylight Savings Time. It was like this mini-holiday at the end of October, a little addition to the sweetness of Halloween. The extra hour of sleep the first day made you feel good because you got the extra sleep without having to sleep in. It’s easier to get up in the morning. For a little while, even the non-morning people of the world can feel like the early hours of the day are their friends. Daylight Savings Time makes the morning a wonderful place to be.

I used to like Daylight Savings Time until I fully realized what it did to the evening hours. It robs us of it, that’s what it does! I didn’t really think much of it until this evening. I work until 6:00 or later, depending on when my interns’ rides (which could be parents or the city buses) arrive, and now with the time change, 6:00 is engulfed by complete darkness. Normally this wouldn’t bother me, but now, despite how nice the weather, I can’t walk to work anymore. Walking to work is one thing, but walking home in my neighborhood in the pitch dark is an entirely different issue. While I like to think my neighborhood is a safe place to live, I’m smart enough to know that it’s not a place that a skinny little small town girl should be walking around after dark.

So now, I’m dependent on my car 5 days a week. Thank you, Daylight Savings Time, thanks a lot.

Order Restored

I usually consider myself to be a fairly organized person. Okay, I will admit there are one too many dust bunnies in my apartment, but for the most part, the place usually looks very presentable. However, I go through phases where nothing related to cleaning gets done. At all.

Clothes are strewn across the bedroom.

Shoes are in every room of the apartment.

Dishes are stacked in both sinks.

Leftovers get a little too left over in the fridge.

It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but there is one good thing that comes out this domestic chaos: the cleanup. It is surprisingly cathartic to restore the apartment to its orderly, clean state. Tonight I folded the clothes merely tossed in the closest over the last couple of weeks, picked up the other clothes and shoes, unpacked my bag from last night’s stay at The Ranch, generally put the bedroom and living back in order. Tomorrow, I’m washing dishes and even (!) balancing my checkbook.

It’s going to be a good weekend.

Thoughts About Jobs

Yeah, yeah, so I'm obsessing a little bit about jobs lately. If recent posts aren’t evidence enough, I’ll let you all know that things on the job front are not exactly satisfactory. No detail is needed at this point, I’m sure someday you’ll get the whole story, but for now, all you need to know is that it’s caused me great unrest the last couple of months. Hence, not being able to think or write about much else.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking when it comes to jobs and careers lately. Sure, I still have some high points at work: when the last person walked out the door of our fundraiser a couple weeks ago, and knowing it (logistically) went off without a hitch, hearing about how impressed people are by our youth, or basically anything that has to do with our youth’s successes. I still believe in the organization’s mission and still think what we’re doing is an essential element in the community, some things have just changed.

Today an inkling of satisfaction creeped back into my job. At 7:30 this morning, I spoke to 500+ Nordstrom employees about YB. Yes, it was early in the morning, yes it was at this crazy shopping mall that I get turned around and ultimately lost, every time I go, but I really do like speaking to people about our organization. It breaks up the monotony of office work, and it provides a reminder of why I chose to work at YB in the first place.

On top of that, Nordstrom is a very charitable organization, and it’s always refreshing to see large groups of people, and large organizations, who want to give back to their community. I was able to sit through the store’s entire yearly-all-staff meeting, and what struck me the most was how happy everyone seemed to be. There was this uplifting atmosphere that I realize has been missing from my workspace since July. These people were all excited and joking around, you could tell they felt good about what they did for a living. There’s nothing wrong with retail, I love shopping as much as the next girl (and would love it even more if I had the means to actually shop once in a while) I just know I’d suck at it, so I’ve never considered it as a job option. So watching all these people in this particular field do what they do, and loving it, was just fascinating to me. I realize that somewhere amongst those 500+ people, someone wasn’t 100% content with their job, but the atmosphere was just so different from what I’ve been used to. It really made me think twice about where I’m at in my job and career.

Talking with one of my coworkers last week, got me thinking about the first job I had in high school. I started out bussing tables at Ole’s Pizza and Spaghetti House in my hometown the summer after my junior year of high school. I can remember driving home at the end of every night, smelling like pizza, a salad bar and the deep fat fryer all mixed into one, with sore feet and a little bit of cash in my pocket (which would later turn into a lot of cash when I actually started waiting tables) feeling like I really accomplished something. I don’t know if it was because Ole’s was my first job, but I just don’t get that feeling anymore. I know I had those moments in the beginning at YB, but I can’t even remember the last time I left for the day really feeling good about my job like I did when I was schlepping dirty dishes and jugs of salad dressing. Obviously, I don’t want to go back to bussing and waiting tables for a living, but I do know I want to go home with that feeling again. This isn’t anything profound, but, until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t realize that was missing, and that’s something I want to get back.

So, you see despite all of my recent whining, it is slowly going away. I know that things need to change, and I am 100% certain that it will change, very, very soon.

I feel like I’m getting back into the groove of things. I’ve got nothing going on tonight, and since it’s only 6:00, you just may get another random post from me tonight.

Oh, you could only be so lucky!

*sigh*

With another busy, stressful workweek and another wonderful weekend behind me, I am trying to do my best and live up to my blogging word. I still feel exhausted, still swamped at work, and still struggling to find the motivation to do my job to the best of my abilities. I realize my posts have been anything but uplifting, amusing or even interesting. I don’t want to turn this blog into a forum to whine about my current situation, but dammit, I feel like my current situation is slowly sucking the life out of me.

The fundraising event finally happened on Wednesday morning. Logistically, it went very, very well. This makes me extremely happy because this was the one area I actually had control over (and was in charge of). The room looked great, we didn’t run out of food, the speakers (all youth) were phenomenal, and the room was packed with people. A snowstorm the night before may have affected attendance ever so slightly, but even with the weather, around 280 people attended. Financially speaking, it was a little disappointing, but in an effort to remain as positive as possible, I’m not going to talk about that aspect. If I did go into it in any detail, a very long diatribe would follow. None of that tonight!

Getting through the week was a challenge, mainly because the beginning of the week involved 10 and 12 hour days. Looking back I really should have been more productive on Friday, because now I’m going to have to play major catch-up tomorrow, but I could hardly muster up the energy to get things done that absolutely had to be completed on Friday. On the bright side, being incredibly busy should make the days go by much faster.

Getting through the week had one very worthwhile reward: a weekend celebrating Abbey’s 21st birthday. I laughed so hard on Friday night, I could hardly breathe and my sides ached for hours afterward. Trout, Rothfuss, Phil and I watched the university’s football team win the annual “Border War” in the 30 degree, partly cloudy weather and Trout and I managed to leave L-town without having to take a big blue bunny named Lenny with us (as far as I know, anyway).

Despite all my bitching about my week, I really am fortunate to be able to retreat on the weekends. For the last three weeks, when work has been at its most stressful, I have been able to see Trout (on two different occasions!), hang out with my family (three weekends in a row) including Abbey (twice!), Jenn (all three weekends!), Mom (just once, but it was still a ton of fun), and Phil (all three!). There has been some relief during the week, in the form of lunches out of the office or drinks after work, it’s really the weekends that have pulled me through.

Thanks to everyone who has helped keep my wits about me this past month, hell more like the past four months. I know I haven’t been the most pleasant, but I really do appreciate the support

Even though work will still continue to be a challenge, things will definitely be clearing up a great deal sooner rather than later; there is a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. As long as I keep that in mind, I’m hoping this blog will return to its regularly scheduled programming.

Oy

This weekend, my mom and Abbey came down to visit. This was, of course, a ton of fun. I got free Avs ticket through work for Saturday’s game, so between hockey, Snooze, and the Botanic Gardens Pumpkin Festival, it was another great weekend. Well, except for when I forgot my apartment keys in The Ranch and had to wait for Jenn to bring me my keys. That wasn’t so great. But all things considered it was another wonderful distraction from work, and next weekend looks like its shaping up to be the same. Three weekends in a row with major plans…I just may be able to keep my sanity.

The coming week will, undoubtedly be the busiest week I’ve had in recent memory. Our big fundraiser in on Wednesday; the first part of the week will be spent working on last minute details and the second part of the week will be spent making sure all the loose ends are tied up. Between our fundraiser and various other social commitments (including another Hockey game, lunch at Tom’s, drinks with coworkers to celebrate the end of the fundraiser and the weekend in L-town to celebrate Abbey’s birthday), I’m busy every night for the next week.

I know some of you have expressed interest in updates on the upcoming week. I promise I will let you all know how the fundraiser turns out and how much of my sanity is still intact. In the meantime, I don’t think posting is going to happen, look for a new post next week. Hopefully by then I will be a much more relaxed person.

Secondly, A Recap

Alright, folks, it seems I’m back in a blogging mood. For tonight at least. Here’s a quick little rundown of the last week or so:

• As previously mentioned, my little car needed some major front end work done to it. After dropping her off Monday morning, I got her back this morning all fixed up and ready to hit the road. I tell myself that she definitely drives much better now, even if I can’t really tell the difference. I tell myself I can notice it, so that moment when I handed over my credit card doesn’t seem as painful. I know the work needed to be done, but it’s not nearly as visible as some other repairs she gone through.
• Work is still insanely busy. We had an abrupt staff change early last week and I am now almost solely in charge of a fundraising event that will have a guest list of around 300 and needs to raise figures in the 6 digit range. And this event is next Wednesday. On top of the fundraiser and all of my other “normal” workload stuff, I’m also in charge of three teenage interns. Most days at work, when I don’t feel exhausted, I feel like I’m always two steps away from feeling in control. I’ve started dreaming about work…not good.

On three much happier notes:

• Trout came to visit this weekend. Any time spent with Trout is a good time. It should also be noted that time spent with Trout is never long or often enough. Luckily, he got Columbus Day off, and was able to stay until Monday morning. So even though I just complained it wasn’t long enough, it was a longer visit than a normal weekend, and I really am happy about that. I won’t go into a hugely long summary of all our activities, but they did involve a Grateful Dead bar, suit shopping, Jackass Number 2, Thai food, Snooze, and a 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle. Pretty much, perfect, except that whole I had to go back to work and he had to go back to the 5400.
• With any luck, because one of my coworkers kicks some major ass and will cover for me, I won’t have to work an event (on a Saturday) in a couple of weeks, which means Trout and I can meet up in L-town to celebrate Abbey’s 21st birthday (something we’ve been talking about for over a year now), and to celebrate Trout’s “bestest manfriend’s” birthday as well. If it doesn’t work out, and I end up working, not only will I be sorely pissed off that I have to miss my sister’s birthday, but Trout and I won’t see one another until Thanksgiving. Cross your fingers and knock on wood that this works in my favor, I need the celebrating, people!
• My mom is coming to visit this weekend. I have no idea what we’re doing yet (although I believe breakfast at Snooze is definitely in the works, I was serious when I said I could eat there everyday), but like I said, I really need all the relief and distraction from work as I can get, and the next couple of weeks are going to be really hectic in that category, so a visit from my mom is just the ticket. Can’t wait.

Okay, that's all I can give right now. The next few weeks promise to be very interesting, so that will either mean I'll have lots of stuff to write about or I'll just be too exhausted to write anything. You may see me soon, you may not. Sooner or later (but probably later) I will post about it all. You have my word.

First, A Suggestion

Pick up a copy of the most recent TIME magazine. There’s a great article about the genetic similarities and differences between humans and our nearest and dearest cousins, the primate family, and more specifically chimpanzees.

I realize the only articles that I’ve recommended lately have to do with evolution or anthropology, but well, it’s my blog and I can recommend anything I want. As you can all tell by now, articles like this one get me all sorts of academically excited and somehow simultaneously makes me wonder what I’m going to do with the rest of my professional life…

Crap.

Today was just incredibly…bad. A Monday through and through. Today’s events will not only cost me a lot of money in auto repairs, but, professionally, it may also cost me my sanity.

I know I’m not being very specific, but I don’t really feel like going into a detailed story about the drama that’s surrounded work the last month or two. If there is one thing I can remain a little optimistic about is that I will no longer be bored out of my skull. Although, that might turn into being stressed out of my skull, not sure which is worse.

Car trouble is car trouble and, in my case that usually means the credit card and some slow, deep breaths. That is much easier to deal with.

So, I guess that makes two things to sort of be optimistic about. And tomorrow is Tuesday.

Make that three. Woohoo!