A Brief Aside

In case no one has ever noticed before, my blog here sometimes tend to be my psychiatrist. I've discovered splaying wordy rants across a page and launching them into the blogosphere to float amidst the other blog junk is, oddly, helpful. I'm sure you've read my ranting posts about numerous topics, none of which make too much sense nor have too much cohesion.
And today once again I find myself flopping down on my proverbial psychiatrists proverbial leather sofa. This time with a lot of things racing around my mind. So I hope you readers on the other side of the screen don't mind, but I'm going to divulge a bit.
Shall we?
I've discovered over the past while that being married really does turn your world upside down.
And then inside out, possibly puts your through the rinse and ringer cycle, spins you three times, puts a blind fold on you and then gives you a stick to try to hit your next target. Whether thats managing to get a full night sleep, get up for work, make dinner or figure out what it is that married people do with their spare time.
The last one is really putting a work over on my husband who is so used to, honestly, being alone. He's a bit of a "to himself" person, well, except when I'm around. He doesn't mind spending time with me. But for us to be constantly together, we tend to run out of things to do. Which ends in us resorting to him playing a game/reading a book and me mulling about cleaning and finding random things to daydream about.
My problem though is this:
I feel like I am currently hanging upside down by my ankles, slowly rotating probably, musing to myself:
"What am I going to do with my life?"
I hate my job, I'm just going to say that now. There's no denying it anymore. I feel little self worth or appreciation for what I do. Being a receptionist is not my cup of tea. To me it simply does not feel fulfilling and it feels like I am not completing anything worthwhile. I suppose it is hard to explain, and there are many factors in my office specifically that contribute to it. Either way, I do not love this thing I sit about and do for 8 hours everyday.
Which has my brain in turmoil lately, what do I do with myself?
I am still going to school. However, lately even my degree (Anthropology) has been on the chopping block in my mind. I think, what am I going to do with that? How am I going to take care of my family? I, personally, want to be a stay at home mom. As much as I want to travel the world discovering things, such as, Ivan the Terrible's Lost Library; I want to be a stay-at-home mom a little more.
So then I think, well I do love writing. Why don't I try to write out my stories?
Problem is, the first thing they teach you in Creative Writing: "Get a day job."
Awesome, and with Owen still trying to finish his degree. Our finances can't exactly afford me taking a gallivant through my day dreaming worlds.
I do love gardening, I would love to do landscaping and be a professional gardener. Yet, I hit a brick wall with apparently not having a Horticultural degree? (What? Where do you even get that?)
So what about finishing my English degree? That's 4 more years of finishing and getting an Ed degree because really, all you can do with an English degree is teach (unless I can make a living off blogging! Hah). Not that I wouldn't mind the schooling, but right now I feel...restless.
So my mind flipped through so many things I have always wanted to do, that just feel a little out of reach. Now I just can't think about what I want, I have to think what is good for myself and my husband. Things get a little more daunting when you have another person to take care of.
So then, what do I do? What do I do with myself that makes me feel like I am actually doing something worthwhile. That contributes to myself and others.
1st answer: I don't know. Whatever. I give up. I'll just do this thing because it pays the bills.
2nd answer: Wait. Why don't I become an EMR?
It's an idea. Just a small one that my mind thought of today. Perhaps with a bit of inspiration. I have my First Aide Level C and CPR/AED training. I've always wanted to help people, and my Dad is an EMR too. I've gone on ride alongs and always enjoyed it. Right now I'm just wondering if I can handle things that would be seen as a first responder.
Although, it would be worth it, I think. At least it seems like it would be something both ambitious and worthwhile.
I suppose we shall see what happens, won't we.

xoxo

O Hai

So, I know I haven't posted a new entry in a wee bit longer than usual. Alison pointed this out to me (which actually made me go all ~*squee*~ and goo inside because I'm not just talking to the lonely lonesome void of Internetville).
But then I realized, I haven't written anything lately because..well..
MAH BRAIN NOT HERE
Well.. okay it is.
But I seriously cannot focus
For like, more than 2 seconds
On any given task.
Why am I writing in stanza?!

So instead I will share with you,
a sudden revelation I had today.

I'm getting married.

Yeah, yeah.
I can hear all of the
"Well duh"-ing
But it seriously just hit me
Like today.
Pretty overwhelming, if I do say so.
I have to take care of someone else now
WHEN I CAN BARELY MATCH MY OWN SOCKS!
Luckily he's an OCD sock matcher
BUT THATS NOT THE POINT

Also, please share in my horror
At the second revelation I had today

What was that weather?

You feel like literally

RAINING ON MY PARADE?

WHY YOU LITTLE DKAFJDAKFJDKALFHDKLHAFDJAKFJDKALJFKDAHGKLAJKD

*grumble* *grumble*

What was that? You want THUNDERSTORMS?

Who me? I didn't say anything. stupid no good lousy... 

At work I read minds and magically make things perfect.

Have I ever told you guys about my job? No? Well, strap yourself in for the never ending fun.
Hurr hurr.
So after last summer working at The Museum I found my internship over and myself out of a job.
Also, my school was like "What? You wanna come back? NOPE!"
 Fuuuu...dge and crackers.
So I'm sitting in Calgary hurrumphing over needing to figure out what to do with my life.
 When things like this happen, I would love to say I am a calm person in personal crisis; but that would be a lie.
 I panic, hardcore.
 When there's problems at work I can keep a level head, but when it comes to my personal life; the farmer basically just cut off my head.
 So I applied like crazy for anything I could think of that wasn't retail. Been there, did that, would rather sleep with spiders. Okay maybe not, but retail = noooooooo.
So anyways, after a few interviews and such and such job chasing later I landed a job as a receptionist for an oil company. Now, I'm not going to be naming names because the last thing I want is to get in trouble with people of Considerable Status Above Me.
Bascially, I'm the girl who sits by herself in the front waiting area greeting you as you walk in and trying to figure out what meeting you are supposed to be in (because nobody tells me anything >.<) I answer the phone.. when it rings.. once in a while, and answer emails (which are like, never).
 Basically I sit here and do school work and clean the boardrooms.. and possibly blog. Errr.
Although, there are two things I do in my job that I'm pretty most other receptionists don't have to do. However, if they do I feel for them.
1) I sometimes have the joy of running my bosses personal errands. Like picking up her sons stocking for Christmas, or picking out the Presidents new car, or their furniture, or their towing company, or their dishwasher repair-man, or (and possibly the best) their entire Christmas celebration and gift for the embassy. Oh joy of joys.  And no, I don't get additional pay for this. I do this out of the "goodness of my employee heart".

Usually most people are like "but that means you don't have to sit behind a desk all day!" or "it must be so fun!'

 No. Just, no.

 I have to do their errands, plus my work I have. Also, my bosses are PICKY. Like, I mean they put your gluten-free, vegan-friendly, "I won't eat dog" American cousin visiting China to shame. 

I once picked out 5 different set of Christmas lights before I was told to pick out "exactly these ones", the gaudiest of the gaudy I may add. 

Why could you not tell me in the first place? And then, when I pick those ones out, there may still be something wrong with them. Like they aren't bright enough. 

THEY DON'T SELL SPOTLIGHTS AT CANADIAN TIRE! *facedesk*

*sigh*

Okay, so in honesty that isn't so bad. Just really frustrating sometimes, especially when I have files stacked on the desk, and I am told continuously that "No no, not that." and then they thing they want is almost the same thing. Whatever! I can deal with it. It's not too bad, just really, really frustrating.  

It's #2 that rubs me raaaawwww

2) I am not only a mind reader but I make "executive decisions" to the people no one wants to deal with. 

Now, let me elaborate. 

Firstly on the mind reading. It slightly coincides with the afore mentioned but mostly it has to do with actual day-to-day job. 

For example, I will be sitting at my desk doing work.. Err, yes.. and suddenly a group of 10 people from a law firm and some other oil company and the bank will all walk in. Now, I will smile and greet them while thinking in my head "What?! Who are they for?! Which boardroom do I put them in? I haven't made coffee! There's no water set out!" 

Then I will look like a total idiot asking them who they are here for, they'll all raise their eyebrows at me and tell me who. So I will ask them to please wait, take a seat and go find my boss. 

Now, at the beginning of my job this was a big problem. I was constantly running around like a chicken trying to figure who went where. Sometimes I would put one meeting in our large boardroom and a second meeting would walk in moments later and the person they were meeting with would be mad that they didn't get the big boardroom. The poor Administration Assistant before me had dealt with this longer and she said it was always like this.

 So, eventually I learned to always have water set on the tables and the boardrooms prepped. However, I wasn't up for this who charade. So if people didn't get the boardroom they wanted:

Tough cookies you guys. Should have booked your meeting. You've only received ten thousand emails from me about this.

 At first some of the temp workers from overseas weren't cool with my stand point, luckily my boss knows I'm just trying to work on efficiency and told them they had to deal with me. 

So I tell them kindly they need to book it and when they do I ask them if they want me to set out tea and coffee. It's gotten better, though sometimes the overseas business people still drive me nuts. Actually, all the time. >.>

Now, the "executive decisions" isn't really as fancy as it sounds. 

My basic job for answering the phones is really just screening calls. Most calls I get in a day are telemarketers. I now have a serious zero-tolerance policy with them. I used to be like "No thank you.. Well.. I.. I don't want to talk to you.. I'm busy" 

Interruption, interruption.

 Now I'm just like "Look, this is a company. We don't have time for this. Sorry, but don't call again." If it's a Canadian number I add "Call again and I call CRTC." 

Because telemarketers are illegal in Canada, did you know that? Oh yays. I am kinda mean.. I know. But you don't understand how many of them call 

O_O

 SO MANY! 

The other phone calls I get that no one else wants are the people who want an "in" with us, or a donation, or to sell a new idea. These people, though they mean well, annoy me to no ends. 

Simply because of the fact that they cannot seem to grasp one concept. 

We are NOT, I repeat, NOT, the head office. 

See, my oil company is based from another country. We don't make new business decisions, we don't deal with new companies unless told to, and no we cannot fund your new "innovation". Yet somehow, no matter how much I tell people we cannot help them they continue to push and push to talk to my "manager" and insist that we may be able to just hear them out.

I usually hear:

 "Well, I've dealt with our companies from [insert country name here] and they had offices back there."

 Do we look like that company? No, I'm sorry I can't help you.

 Usually, I try to be professional and kind to these people. It was weird to me at first too that we got all orders from out of country and didn't act unless told to. Eventually you see it makes sense in a business way. Some people that call and keep getting pushy and insistent though I lose a little patience with. I was never blessed with lots of patience anyways, but these people are a number. They keep telling me:

 "Well you can do something I'm sure, you're a prominent company."

Applying to my ego doesn't help you.

"Well can I talk to your manager anyways?" (asked about 5 times)

No

"Well can't we talk to them and then meet with your head office?" 

No

"You mean I have to go to [insert country name here]"

No, just talk to them then if they want to do business you can do it through us.

"Well why can't we do it now?"

Because you have to talk to them first! Argh!

"Can I have you bosses name?"

NO!

"Can I just talk to you manager about who to contact?"

Oh you're so sly. No.

"This is a great opportunity you're missing."

I'm sure it is. 

"Can I talk to your business manager then..?"

NOOO!!

*facedesk*

These people, they have more persistence and gumption than a door-to-door salesman or something. 

*sigh*

xoxo

p.s. I get married in 26 days. OH MY GOSH!

Hipster mannequin anyone?

It scares me mommy... It mustache. It stares into my soul...

Dear Calgary

*ahem*
Calgary, you're truly a lovely city. With your ever reaching upward downtown, the winding shallow banks of the Bow river, the tasty cafes that I sit at often, and the picturesque grandeur of the Rocky Mountain outlining the background borders of this city.
However, we need to have a talk Calgary.
About your drivers....
I know you're a big city these days. Growing up and moving up in the world. You've got a lot of friends, and a lot more going for you. Sure, I know you've had your trials.
But seriously, that's no excuse for the drivers here.
Last I checked, when I have the pedestrian light and I got to cross the street, that is not grounds for honking and nearly hitting me. If this were a one time thing, yeah I'd let it slid. But everyday as I walk from my work, here in your downtown heart, to my bus stop I have somebody honking at my for crossing the street. More than a few times I've had to actually stop and jump back as some person thinks it's okay to turn quickly and cut across my path with their car. Which, by the way, is significantly larger and more heavy than me. I haven't eaten that many cream puffs these days. Do I look like another car?
Now the pedestrian incidents, well I'm kind of starting to get numb to that. Along with everyone else. We all know when to pause because someone wants to beat the walkers and cut across. We all know to just ignore the idiot honking at us because he can't turn in .32748392 seconds, because oh no I'm there crossing.
What rubs my raw everyday is the fact that no one waves.
That's right. I could rant that no one seems to know how to merge here. How people seem to think it's okay to cut me off. How the instant a centimeter of snow touches the ground in this city every single major road is backed up because someone got freaked out SNOWPOCALYPSE and had an accident with 5 other cars. No, my big issue is no one waves.
I counted once. In one day, where I had to drive for roughly 4 hours about 3 people waved.
I remember a time when someone would let you into their lane and you waved to them as a thank you. These days people just shove on into your lane, even if you let them in and then press on in their gas guzzling, obscenely large and decked out SUVs and BMWs. If I'm taking my time to slow the heck down and hold up traffic because your undecided supreme fuel butt can't figure out how to merge in properly, it's polite to at least wave. I think most parents, and people in this culture, teach manners. It's a way of saying thank you. But no, people tend to think everyone owes them, the individual, more than the next individual two cars over. I'm getting pretty fed up of all of this. I still wave when someone lets me in, it's not like its an alien concept. I remember the days when everyone did that.
Calgary, I know it's not really your fault. Although the winding streets, the ridiculous construction and the backed up traffic on the commute to work may contribute. People tend to forget about the other people around them when they're so entirely focused on not being late for their meeting, or hurrying to get to their next destination. We live in a world of instant gratification for the individual, we forget about the other individuals out there.
So Calgarian drivers, the next time I slow down to let you in while you're yaking on your cell phone and drinking your Starbucks, take two seconds to wave to me. I know I'm just the piddly little Saturn behind you're massive Cadillac SUV, but it's just polite. So does that sound good? You wave for me, and I'll wave for you. Maybe with just a little recognition to kindness and a wave we can start making the roads a tad friendlier.


Yours Truly,

AR

And on the 8th Day God Created

Owen asked me if this is really such a big deal.

To which I reply. If it has to do with Corn Pops then heck, it warrants its own blog post! 

My problem being this. 

Corn Pops are this magical cereal that delights my day. Besides being massively loaded with sugar, they're crunchy. I like crunchy cereal (yes this includes Captain Crunch. But that's my father's addiction)

And you look forward to the glorious moments when you get to eat your crunchy cereal. How it brings such a harmonious and joyful taste to the milk! It makes you happy, like the world is your oyster!

And then all of .02 seconds of sitting in the milk, they get soggy. 

This is my problem.

Could they somehow develop the wonderfulness of Corn Pop without it getting soggy so damned fast. The speed of light is slower than the speed of Corn Pop soggyness. 

It just ruins my day. 

And I'm aware this is a complaint post.

They happen sometimes. 

For some reason Corn Pops are what I chose to freak out about.

Stressed much?

You bet your bottom dollar.. Ugh.

xoxo

Flamethrowers anyone?

So it's been cold and snowing across the eastern seaboard, and I'm sure there are many people who are truly tired of picking up a shovel *again* after a ridiculously long winter. Actually, I think we all are. I personally could not stand to look at a snow shovel for forever a long, long time. Because really snow is great, and fun, and all snowman's and catching it on your tongue for the first three inches. After that it's basically frozen hell >_<
And you know, this happens every year. Funny how that works. But every year you hear this on the tv:
"And city council is trying to find more money to put into the snow removal budget so that roads with be in better conditions! We'll send out ever plow, man and child to clear that snow!"
And then the next year comes and your driving through five feet of slush with no plow in sight. Until after the damned snow melts.
So you'd think we'd have better plans. We do have a whole year 3 months to plan for this fluffy white stuff. What could possibly be our solution?
http://gizmodo.com/5751902/the-mayor-of-boston-wanted-to-fight-snow-with-flamethrowers-in-1948
Flamethrowers? Flamethrowers.
How have we not thought of this before!
This mayor is a genius, I vote him for mayor! Talk about b.a. ingenuity!
I move for a budget expense to have flamethrowers implemented to dispense of this snowy threat! Because honestly, how awesome would that be. Other countries would dare not mess with us even. After all, we'd be using flamethrowers to get rid of snow, imagine what we'd do to them. Because of one man's idea we could be a country with the imagery of being totally b.a. with no snow.
But alas, we're a country with the image of igloos, dog sleds, people name Doug and Bob and the word 'Eh!' because of snow.. Gah!
We don't get the flamethrowers because we're peace-keepers, that's the reason isn't it? Nrrrrgh...
Also, as I usually post Anthro News. I'm sure some may wonder why there has been no news pertaining to the matters with Egypt's museum.
That's because I'm still crying over it.
For those who don't know..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/feb/03/raiders-egyptian-museum-cairo-egypt
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/02/egypt-update-rare-tomb-may-have.html
Crying harder...
http://www.livescience.com/culture/egypt-museum-cairo-110303.html
They better have the bloody army guarding everything. Mob mentality = sheer idiots.. Amongst other words.
Aside from my ranting my week has been pre occupied with picking flowers. For my wedding. Heh. My wedding. So funny to say. However, I finally decided.

 This isn't an exact example of a boquet I want, but it's close. It's what I'm basing my idea off of. Green hydrangea and cream gerbera's. ^_^ They look cuuuuuute. 

Now, off to plan glorious centerpieces and many other things that will probably make my brain melt. Oh and do homework. Right.

Nygah. 

xoxo 

Epiphany

No, no apple's have been hitting me upside the head. Though granted that may knock some sense into me. No, no today I realized something.

The world, has indeed, gone crazy. 

Okay, well be that as it may not be a total shock to everyone and it's kind of like "Andi.. that's old news. Like, almost pre-history old news." But no quite pre-history because then it wouldn't be news. Heh.

Okay! Bad joke of the day out of the way! Point being, I flicked on my tv before leaving for work today to have every single news story being about some form of a tragedy, or someone was shot, or a poor police office was run over by a snowplow (?!) or someone tried to assassinate a governor, the worlds flooding, its over heating, its freezing, THE END IS NIGH YOU GUUUUYS!!

Well that's enough to put you in bed depressed for weeks... Urgh, seriously. Now, being an Anthropology geeky major I've never really loved western society (I know, lo, I am weird) I've actually been called a traitor due to my disquieted disgust for it some days. Because really living in a society that has no traditions for coming of age, that led by a vocal minority and a tactfully coach potatoed (usually) majority, the glorification of skinny minnies, the media, Hollywood (nrrrgh), blah blah blah. The list goes on. 

Anyways, I kept thinking about this on the bus to work, it kind of nagging at me. When I got to work I was pulling out the paper to put out on the waiting tables when I read this article:

A teenage boy who put his brother's life before his own was one of the 13 people confirmed to have died in the Australian floods.
Jordan Rice, 13, was killed in the city of Toowoomba, 130 kilometres west of Brisbane, as his family car was swamped.
The teenager had insisted that rescuers take his 10-year-old brother, Blake, first. Seconds later, Jordan and his mother, Donna, 43, were swept away.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/flood+died+save+brother/4101732/story.html#ixzz1B3Yzpus2

So that's like the first paragraph and I was already choking up. It was pretty heart wrenching to read about this tragedy, but the last line of the story made me have another epiphany. The rescue worker who tried to save the teenage boy said: "He's just the champion of all champions, a family hero."

Yes, I was totally at work and sniffling. I can be a wuss. But I suppose it was because it's things like this that make me feel like the world will still be okay. As crazy as things get, there are still people who love each other and there is still kindness in humanity. Not all of us are crazy... in the bad way. There are still some of us who curl up on the couch after work with the dog on one side and the person you love on the other, and the world feels like a very distant place you see on the tv. Some of us still have that concept of "home" in our lives. 

I now leave you with your Daily Dose of D'aww!

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=puppy+wants+to+sleep&sk=&mid=8F634AC04B50F76C2DC08F634AC04B50F76C2DC0&FORM=LKVR

And your Daily Dose of WTF?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_LTLG_oVfU