After being so stagnant in my writing, I'm really trying to update this more regularly.
Katy (the most awesome mentor in the entire world) and I have been trying to start a new mentor program at the school. We are a communications magnet, so it made sense to expand the relationships with our business partners in the communications field and to also gain new ones.
So we devised a program where professionals in the communications field (journalists, tv anchors, radio personalities, etc) could come in and work with a group of students to produce some kind of advertisement for a local non-profit, thus making it a service learning mentoring program (sounds fancy, huh?)
Well, like many projects, it hit a few bumps in the road. Even I was wondering who we could get to come into the school in the middle of the day to work with these students. Where would they find the time? Would they even care about a school with in a neighborhood like ours? The questions went on. But Katy sincerely has the most "we can do this" attitude of maybe anyone I know. While I sit there stressing about the big picture "where to begin? " "How will this ever get done?" She's already ten steps ahead of me taking care of the details and organizing a plan to execute this. It's very helpful to me working with someone who can focus on the step by step process of things because I tend to see the big picture without taking time to consider details. We make a good team.
So long story short, the program started on Tuesday and it went better than I could have imagined. We had someone from the local newspaper, someone in the advertising business, someone from the local news station, and two local DJs from the students favorite "hip hop" radio station 93.3.
That's right, Charleston's very own "Baby J and Tessa" from the 93.3 JAMZ morning show. You would have thought that we got Jay Z and Mary J Blige. The kids went nuts. They couldn't believe these celebrities that they listen to every day on the radio took time to come hang out with them. They had a group of three students and helped them produce a radio PSA for mentoring. The kids took turns saying what their mentors mean to them and then they Tessa and Baby J's voice saying how cool mentoring was. As mentor coordinator, I was so touched by the entire thing. It's so important for kids to have mentors, but these were real people that they look up to and think are really cool. I even heard "Ronald" a kid I had to kick out of the Recycling Team for bad behavior ask them how to be DJS and Baby J told him he was an English Major in College and Ronald was all wide eyed and like "YOU went to college?" And Baby J goes "Of course I did, and you can too"
You can't make this stuff up.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Army Wives
As many of you know, they tape the show "Army Wives" In my neighborhood. I've never seen the show, but I know some people who enjoy it. And now my mom watches it! They have been taping every day for the last three or so months. So who knows, maybe I'll be seen driving or jogging in the background ;) It's on Lifetime at 10 and it started this week. I don't know if I'll be able to stay up late enough to catch it, but I will try!
I also thought this was kinda cool - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q_x3i6MPrs
a youtube video of the set- I wish it were a little better but if you start at 2:26, it's a house identical to mine and it shows some of the other houses on base.
I also thought this was kinda cool - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q_x3i6MPrs
a youtube video of the set- I wish it were a little better but if you start at 2:26, it's a house identical to mine and it shows some of the other houses on base.
A different kind of post
It has come to my attention that the amount that I spend on groceries and daily life expenses is absurdly cheap. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I had been naïve and didn’t know that I was living at a much lower cost of living than just about everyone that I know (outside of my AmeriCorps friends) It’s just that sometimes I don’t realize just how little I live off of until I step outside my little North Charleston bubble or speak to my friends and family about it.
Let me supplement this by saying that living like this would not be possible if it weren’t for the HUGE amount of help I get from my family. They really help me out A LOT. I am eternally grateful for the amount of financial assistance I get from my family, and one day when I make it big ,you will all have fancy cars and vacation in the tropics like rock stars.
I know it’s sort of “tacky” (Your word, Mom) to say how much you make, pay for rent, etc, I know that no one reads this except for my family and friends, and I’m sort of an open book when it comes to these things anyway. Plus, most of this stuff (like my stipend) is public knowledge.
Though I do live off of a stipend of around $10,000 a year, I hardly have any real expenses.
Things that my family covers: Over half of my cell phone bill, car insurance, and recently, my gas
Things that the government covers: $29/a month in food, my utilities
My expenses: $250/rent, $30/a month in cable and internet, $30/ a month cell phone bill
A huge part of the “AmeriCorps experience” is living well below the poverty line. I knew this signing up, and in all honestly, it was sort of appealing. I love a challenge and approached it with a “bring it on” attitude. I think one of my best skills is living frugally without appearing to do so. And honestly, I think I do a pretty darn good job of this.
Another huge thing that my family has helped me out with that I did not mention up there, is food. When I drove down here, my parents stocked me up with a TON of non perishable food items. And since I am normally cooking just for myself, I have been able to preserve a lot of it. Examples: Rice, beans, soup, tuna fish, nuts, cereal, popcorn, canned vegetables, peanut butter, etc.
I should also mention that I am really into exercise and nutrition. Although I am not trained at all ( I took one class at Community College ) I am constantly reading about proper nutrition and ways to get it. One of my main concerns with my extreme budgeting is lack of protein. See, a huge way that I cut down on my grocery expense is to eat less meat. It’s not too challenging for me to do this because I really don’t love meat that much. In particular, red meat. I have more or less given up red meat, save some special occasions. It is expensive and not too healthy, especially as a woman. But like I said, it is easy for me to do this because I don’t love it. In general, I still eat chicken and turkey, because I like the way those taste more and they are less expensive and more lean.There are some unhealthy foods that I love and refuse to give up. I can afford to do this because of how active I am and because I have a relatively good metabolism (another thing to thank my family for!) Although I fluctuate between about 5-10lbs, I always maintain a healthy weight. In general I also try to be disciplined during the week and kinda let myself do whatever I want on the weekends.
This is less about losing weight and more about staying on tasks. Like a machine, I feel like a better and more productive person when everything is in line. I feel that eating healthy is directly associated with my being more on task at work, spending less money, and getting enough exercise, which in turns makes me less stressed on a number of levels. When one of those factors is up to par it is easier for me to maintain all of them. However, without letting myself go on the weekends and vacations and special occasions, I would totally go off track all the time.
So in essence, eating well and saving money go hand in hand for me, which is why I’m discussing both of these in the blog.
Protein: My biggest challenge. My sources of protein usually come from the following foods:
Eggs- I eat a lot of eggs. I prefer egg whites or egg beaters, but these are usually more expensive than just eggs, so I only buy those if they are on sale.
Nuts- I love nuts. I eat a handful of almonds every day at work for energy as one of my snacks. My Aunt Jean sends me huge Costco bags of almonds, so that is a huge help! I also put nuts in Oatmeal, salad and even pasta sometimes. I also eat a lot of peanut butter.
Canned Tuna- Inexpensive and healthy
Fish- Salmon and Shrimp are my favorites.
*When my mom visited in January she took me grocery shopping and bought me a lot of frozen goodies, including Salmon, Shrimp, and Turkey Burgers. Again, an enormous help
Cheese- I like cheese, but, it’s something I tend to stay away from. It’s just so much fat and honestly it is not that cheap and hard to buy for one person because I never finish it fast enough to keep it from going moldy. And I really hate to have to throw away food because it goes bad. One form of cheese I do eat almost every day is string cheese. It forces me to eat slowly because I peel it (which is good for me because I tend to eat too fast sometimes) and the protein helps me stay alert at work. The other cheese I eat a lot is laughing cow cheese wedges. They taste more like cream cheese than real cheese but they are so good and only about 35 calories.
Dairy Products- Fortunately, I get free milk and yogurt at work. There’s always left overs from breakfast or lunch and since it goes bad quickly, there are always a ton extra lying around. Yes, it forces me to put individual milk cartons in my fridge and work with that but it’s ok. The yogurt is from the free lunch that all my students qualify for, and is sort of disappointing because it is not the most nutritionally dense yogurt (How upset I get about the nutrient value of school lunch is an entire other subject) But for me it’s free, so I still eat it. It’s also a good snack.
One thing I could never stop eating is Carbohydrates, which is good because as someone who is very active like me, that would be dangerous.
Bread- I try to only eat 100% whole wheat bread. I also like weight watchers wheat bread and sara lee 40 calorie bread. When I get coupons for the sandwich thins I will buy those, but they are not my favorite. My favorite bread is the Thomas English Muffin High Fiber bread. They are only 100 calories and have like 8 grams of fiber. I’ll eat these for breakfast with an egg or peanut butter and I can usually stay full till snack time. (ugh sorry I work in an Elementary School, I talk like an Elementary School child sometimes...)
Pasta- I really don’t love pasta. It’s kinda bland to me for all the calories it gives you. However, pasta is cheap, versatile and easy to prepare so I will eat it. I only eat whole wheat pasta and I will usually make it with as many vegetables as I have lying around, olive oil, a bunch of spices and maybe some tomato sauce.
Brown Rice/ Whole Wheat CousCous- I love both of these.
Potato- Call me simple, but potato’s are my favorite food in the world. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, home fries, french fries… so good. I eat a lot of baked potatoes where I’ll usually put some salsa on it, a laughing cow cheese wedge, black beans and whatever veggies I have lying around.
Vegetables- I am blessed to love vegetables. All vegetables. I love salads, but again, preparing for one person is hard because vegetables go bad quickly. So typically, I will try to buy canned or frozen vegetables although I prefer fresh veggies. I always try to have at least one raw veggie on hand for snacks at work- carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, cauliflower. I always have canned corn, tomatoes and peas on hand because those are my favorites. I love onions and they add flavor for a very little cost. I try to get whatever is in season from the farmer’s market because it’s so fresh, and I also try to support local businesses whenever I can.
Fruit- I really try to like fruit, but it’s harder for me. I really don’t have a taste for berries or melons. So what I typically do is buy either apples, oranges or grapes (whatever is on sale) and try to have that stretch for at least two weeks to bring for snacks at work.
It is really important to me to try to still eat fresh foods even on a tight budget. That being said, I mix it up with packaged foods for cost efficient reasons, and because sometimes I am just busy or lazy and don’t have time to prepare food.
Also, I try to stick to the “5 small meals a day” diet. I like to constantly eat rather than eating three big meals. Big meals make me tired and I have a sensitive stomach so the smaller meals are easier on my digestive system.
So I will use today as an example of what I eat on a typical day. For breakfast I had a whole wheat English muffin with half peanut butter and half laughing cow cheese wedge. Then about halfway between breakfast and lunch I had a handful of almonds. I was feeling more tired than usual, so I made sure I had three huge glasses of water before lunch. At lunch I had a pasta Lean Cuisine, some carrot sticks, and a fun sized M&Ms packet. My friend from work remembered that I told her I liked pistachios and gave me a huge bag of them. So I munched on those throughout the day too. Then about an hour before school was done I had an orange. I went grocery shopping after work. After shopping I was tired so I had a 100 calorie bag of popcorn and 2 Hershey kisses from easter before I played tennis. I played tennis for an hour and a half with a local tennis league, came home and had 2 scrambled eggs with broccoli, onions and hot sauce. Then I had a handful of special K chocolate Cereal. Not exactly gourmet, but it was good enough. All day I drink water, water with lemon, crystal light, or unsweetened ice tea. I have 2-3 cups of coffee every day and occasionally will have a glass of wine or beer with dinner. I completely stopped drinking soda and juice.
That’s what a typical Monday-Thursday more or less looks like.
Now on to my original plan, to show you how I limit it to $29 a month on food. I first want to point out that I only get $29 a month from the government. I have enough money saved that I can spend more, but I don’t want to. I like the challenge of keeping to the $29, and with a little help from my family, it is possible. Sometimes I do spend more than $29, but with an oil change and a hair cut throwing some unaccounted expenses into my budget this month, that is not going to happen.
So here are the groceries I bought for the week:
First I went to Bi-Lo. There I got:
Broccoli which was on sale for $1.99 (it is huge)
Grapes on sale for $3.42 (2.7 lb bag)
Total: $5.41
Then I went to Publix
Special K granola was Buy One Get One ( I can bring this for breakfast) so I got two at $2.00 each- $4.00
Zucchini sale- 1 lb for 99 cents
Cottage Cheese (Cheap protein) - BYGO- $2 each- $4.00 total
Total: $8.76
This leaves me $16.15 for the rest of the month
Yeah it's annoying to go to a bunch of different grocery stores. Every week I look at all the weekly ads online and map out where I need to go to get what. Luckily, there's three grocery stores (Bi-lo, Publix, Piggly Wiggly) in the same area so it's not too hard. I usually only buy what is on sale. All the above stuff was on sale.
Other Sites I use on a daily basis:
http://print.coupons.com/CouponWeb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10 - for this site you have to download a coupon printing application, but it's very easy. And they are manufacturers coupons, and Bi-Lo will double them so it's even better savings!
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/ Awesome blog for living frugal
Recipes-
www.hungrygirl.com - I have a minor obsession with hungry girl. I've been reading her blog every day since High School. I love her.
http://greenlitebites.com/ - I like the woman who writes this. Especially because she's always trying to save money too.
www.weightwatchers.com - Good recipes for real people who don't like a lot of fat
Well that's it. I don't know if this will be a normal kind of post, but I had fun writing it. I'm always open for suggestions and recommendations.
Let me supplement this by saying that living like this would not be possible if it weren’t for the HUGE amount of help I get from my family. They really help me out A LOT. I am eternally grateful for the amount of financial assistance I get from my family, and one day when I make it big ,you will all have fancy cars and vacation in the tropics like rock stars.
I know it’s sort of “tacky” (Your word, Mom) to say how much you make, pay for rent, etc, I know that no one reads this except for my family and friends, and I’m sort of an open book when it comes to these things anyway. Plus, most of this stuff (like my stipend) is public knowledge.
Though I do live off of a stipend of around $10,000 a year, I hardly have any real expenses.
Things that my family covers: Over half of my cell phone bill, car insurance, and recently, my gas
Things that the government covers: $29/a month in food, my utilities
My expenses: $250/rent, $30/a month in cable and internet, $30/ a month cell phone bill
A huge part of the “AmeriCorps experience” is living well below the poverty line. I knew this signing up, and in all honestly, it was sort of appealing. I love a challenge and approached it with a “bring it on” attitude. I think one of my best skills is living frugally without appearing to do so. And honestly, I think I do a pretty darn good job of this.
Another huge thing that my family has helped me out with that I did not mention up there, is food. When I drove down here, my parents stocked me up with a TON of non perishable food items. And since I am normally cooking just for myself, I have been able to preserve a lot of it. Examples: Rice, beans, soup, tuna fish, nuts, cereal, popcorn, canned vegetables, peanut butter, etc.
I should also mention that I am really into exercise and nutrition. Although I am not trained at all ( I took one class at Community College ) I am constantly reading about proper nutrition and ways to get it. One of my main concerns with my extreme budgeting is lack of protein. See, a huge way that I cut down on my grocery expense is to eat less meat. It’s not too challenging for me to do this because I really don’t love meat that much. In particular, red meat. I have more or less given up red meat, save some special occasions. It is expensive and not too healthy, especially as a woman. But like I said, it is easy for me to do this because I don’t love it. In general, I still eat chicken and turkey, because I like the way those taste more and they are less expensive and more lean.There are some unhealthy foods that I love and refuse to give up. I can afford to do this because of how active I am and because I have a relatively good metabolism (another thing to thank my family for!) Although I fluctuate between about 5-10lbs, I always maintain a healthy weight. In general I also try to be disciplined during the week and kinda let myself do whatever I want on the weekends.
This is less about losing weight and more about staying on tasks. Like a machine, I feel like a better and more productive person when everything is in line. I feel that eating healthy is directly associated with my being more on task at work, spending less money, and getting enough exercise, which in turns makes me less stressed on a number of levels. When one of those factors is up to par it is easier for me to maintain all of them. However, without letting myself go on the weekends and vacations and special occasions, I would totally go off track all the time.
So in essence, eating well and saving money go hand in hand for me, which is why I’m discussing both of these in the blog.
Protein: My biggest challenge. My sources of protein usually come from the following foods:
Eggs- I eat a lot of eggs. I prefer egg whites or egg beaters, but these are usually more expensive than just eggs, so I only buy those if they are on sale.
Nuts- I love nuts. I eat a handful of almonds every day at work for energy as one of my snacks. My Aunt Jean sends me huge Costco bags of almonds, so that is a huge help! I also put nuts in Oatmeal, salad and even pasta sometimes. I also eat a lot of peanut butter.
Canned Tuna- Inexpensive and healthy
Fish- Salmon and Shrimp are my favorites.
*When my mom visited in January she took me grocery shopping and bought me a lot of frozen goodies, including Salmon, Shrimp, and Turkey Burgers. Again, an enormous help
Cheese- I like cheese, but, it’s something I tend to stay away from. It’s just so much fat and honestly it is not that cheap and hard to buy for one person because I never finish it fast enough to keep it from going moldy. And I really hate to have to throw away food because it goes bad. One form of cheese I do eat almost every day is string cheese. It forces me to eat slowly because I peel it (which is good for me because I tend to eat too fast sometimes) and the protein helps me stay alert at work. The other cheese I eat a lot is laughing cow cheese wedges. They taste more like cream cheese than real cheese but they are so good and only about 35 calories.
Dairy Products- Fortunately, I get free milk and yogurt at work. There’s always left overs from breakfast or lunch and since it goes bad quickly, there are always a ton extra lying around. Yes, it forces me to put individual milk cartons in my fridge and work with that but it’s ok. The yogurt is from the free lunch that all my students qualify for, and is sort of disappointing because it is not the most nutritionally dense yogurt (How upset I get about the nutrient value of school lunch is an entire other subject) But for me it’s free, so I still eat it. It’s also a good snack.
One thing I could never stop eating is Carbohydrates, which is good because as someone who is very active like me, that would be dangerous.
Bread- I try to only eat 100% whole wheat bread. I also like weight watchers wheat bread and sara lee 40 calorie bread. When I get coupons for the sandwich thins I will buy those, but they are not my favorite. My favorite bread is the Thomas English Muffin High Fiber bread. They are only 100 calories and have like 8 grams of fiber. I’ll eat these for breakfast with an egg or peanut butter and I can usually stay full till snack time. (ugh sorry I work in an Elementary School, I talk like an Elementary School child sometimes...)
Pasta- I really don’t love pasta. It’s kinda bland to me for all the calories it gives you. However, pasta is cheap, versatile and easy to prepare so I will eat it. I only eat whole wheat pasta and I will usually make it with as many vegetables as I have lying around, olive oil, a bunch of spices and maybe some tomato sauce.
Brown Rice/ Whole Wheat CousCous- I love both of these.
Potato- Call me simple, but potato’s are my favorite food in the world. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, home fries, french fries… so good. I eat a lot of baked potatoes where I’ll usually put some salsa on it, a laughing cow cheese wedge, black beans and whatever veggies I have lying around.
Vegetables- I am blessed to love vegetables. All vegetables. I love salads, but again, preparing for one person is hard because vegetables go bad quickly. So typically, I will try to buy canned or frozen vegetables although I prefer fresh veggies. I always try to have at least one raw veggie on hand for snacks at work- carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, cauliflower. I always have canned corn, tomatoes and peas on hand because those are my favorites. I love onions and they add flavor for a very little cost. I try to get whatever is in season from the farmer’s market because it’s so fresh, and I also try to support local businesses whenever I can.
Fruit- I really try to like fruit, but it’s harder for me. I really don’t have a taste for berries or melons. So what I typically do is buy either apples, oranges or grapes (whatever is on sale) and try to have that stretch for at least two weeks to bring for snacks at work.
It is really important to me to try to still eat fresh foods even on a tight budget. That being said, I mix it up with packaged foods for cost efficient reasons, and because sometimes I am just busy or lazy and don’t have time to prepare food.
Also, I try to stick to the “5 small meals a day” diet. I like to constantly eat rather than eating three big meals. Big meals make me tired and I have a sensitive stomach so the smaller meals are easier on my digestive system.
So I will use today as an example of what I eat on a typical day. For breakfast I had a whole wheat English muffin with half peanut butter and half laughing cow cheese wedge. Then about halfway between breakfast and lunch I had a handful of almonds. I was feeling more tired than usual, so I made sure I had three huge glasses of water before lunch. At lunch I had a pasta Lean Cuisine, some carrot sticks, and a fun sized M&Ms packet. My friend from work remembered that I told her I liked pistachios and gave me a huge bag of them. So I munched on those throughout the day too. Then about an hour before school was done I had an orange. I went grocery shopping after work. After shopping I was tired so I had a 100 calorie bag of popcorn and 2 Hershey kisses from easter before I played tennis. I played tennis for an hour and a half with a local tennis league, came home and had 2 scrambled eggs with broccoli, onions and hot sauce. Then I had a handful of special K chocolate Cereal. Not exactly gourmet, but it was good enough. All day I drink water, water with lemon, crystal light, or unsweetened ice tea. I have 2-3 cups of coffee every day and occasionally will have a glass of wine or beer with dinner. I completely stopped drinking soda and juice.
That’s what a typical Monday-Thursday more or less looks like.
Now on to my original plan, to show you how I limit it to $29 a month on food. I first want to point out that I only get $29 a month from the government. I have enough money saved that I can spend more, but I don’t want to. I like the challenge of keeping to the $29, and with a little help from my family, it is possible. Sometimes I do spend more than $29, but with an oil change and a hair cut throwing some unaccounted expenses into my budget this month, that is not going to happen.
So here are the groceries I bought for the week:
First I went to Bi-Lo. There I got:
Broccoli which was on sale for $1.99 (it is huge)
Grapes on sale for $3.42 (2.7 lb bag)
Total: $5.41
Then I went to Publix
Special K granola was Buy One Get One ( I can bring this for breakfast) so I got two at $2.00 each- $4.00
Zucchini sale- 1 lb for 99 cents
Cottage Cheese (Cheap protein) - BYGO- $2 each- $4.00 total
Total: $8.76
This leaves me $16.15 for the rest of the month
Yeah it's annoying to go to a bunch of different grocery stores. Every week I look at all the weekly ads online and map out where I need to go to get what. Luckily, there's three grocery stores (Bi-lo, Publix, Piggly Wiggly) in the same area so it's not too hard. I usually only buy what is on sale. All the above stuff was on sale.
Other Sites I use on a daily basis:
http://print.coupons.com/CouponWeb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10 - for this site you have to download a coupon printing application, but it's very easy. And they are manufacturers coupons, and Bi-Lo will double them so it's even better savings!
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/ Awesome blog for living frugal
Recipes-
www.hungrygirl.com - I have a minor obsession with hungry girl. I've been reading her blog every day since High School. I love her.
http://greenlitebites.com/ - I like the woman who writes this. Especially because she's always trying to save money too.
www.weightwatchers.com - Good recipes for real people who don't like a lot of fat
Well that's it. I don't know if this will be a normal kind of post, but I had fun writing it. I'm always open for suggestions and recommendations.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Happy Six Months to me
Ok. I know I have been terrible with the updates. So much has happened in the past few months that every time I went to update it seemed too overwhelming. I apologize.
So here it goes. According to my "VISTA Manuel" I received during my Pre Service Orientation in September, the sixth month mark is defined by a feeling of "what the #%$% did I get myself into?" The scary part is that I've had that thought well before this 6 month mark. The awesome part is that I've persevered!
These past few months have been a roller coaster. It has been very challenging physically and emotionally . It's also been great in many ways. I've been so fortunate that the people I love have been able to visit. My Mother, Aunt, Grandma came down for a weekend and about a month after that my sister visited.
Instead of trying to catch ya'll up on everything that's happened I thought I could just make a list of some random things, both serious and humorous that I've learned, in no particular order.
- Coupons are great, but it's not smart to use them on stuff you wouldn't normally buy without coupons
- Southern people care a lot about their oysters
- The Crock pot is an economically friendly way to make food and requires little skill.
- Most people and businesses are willing to help out, all you really have to do is ask.
-It's a great skill to learn how to confidently say "no" to things you could physically do, but don't have enough time for
- Never underestimate the power of "stability." When a person does not have any stable people in their life, they will fall
- You can think you have someone's personality pinned in a couple of minutes, but most people are really layered
- If you love what you're doing than you won't mind not getting paid well or working long hours
-Blenders can catch fire
-Sometimes meetings seem like an excuse for a lot of people to sit around and not get a lot done
-Sunshine and warm weather makes people more calm and happy
That's all I got for now. Now for some pictures!!
Me and Eccence. The 5th grader I mentor! She makes me smile
My Family on their trip down here. Took the girls out for a drink at my favorite pub around here.
Kelsey and I at the park near my house
So here it goes. According to my "VISTA Manuel" I received during my Pre Service Orientation in September, the sixth month mark is defined by a feeling of "what the #%$% did I get myself into?" The scary part is that I've had that thought well before this 6 month mark. The awesome part is that I've persevered!
These past few months have been a roller coaster. It has been very challenging physically and emotionally . It's also been great in many ways. I've been so fortunate that the people I love have been able to visit. My Mother, Aunt, Grandma came down for a weekend and about a month after that my sister visited.
Instead of trying to catch ya'll up on everything that's happened I thought I could just make a list of some random things, both serious and humorous that I've learned, in no particular order.
- Coupons are great, but it's not smart to use them on stuff you wouldn't normally buy without coupons
- Southern people care a lot about their oysters
- The Crock pot is an economically friendly way to make food and requires little skill.
- Most people and businesses are willing to help out, all you really have to do is ask.
-It's a great skill to learn how to confidently say "no" to things you could physically do, but don't have enough time for
- Never underestimate the power of "stability." When a person does not have any stable people in their life, they will fall
- You can think you have someone's personality pinned in a couple of minutes, but most people are really layered
- If you love what you're doing than you won't mind not getting paid well or working long hours
-Blenders can catch fire
-Sometimes meetings seem like an excuse for a lot of people to sit around and not get a lot done
-Sunshine and warm weather makes people more calm and happy
That's all I got for now. Now for some pictures!!
Me and Eccence. The 5th grader I mentor! She makes me smile
My Family on their trip down here. Took the girls out for a drink at my favorite pub around here.
Kelsey and I at the park near my house
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
December update
To my faithful readers- I have slacked a lot! I apologize for the delay of an update. I have many good and exciting things to report! I'll start with just before my Christmas Break.
On Thursday, December 17th, Chicora had our official Holiday Celebration. Ashley Hall, a local prestigious private all-girls school whose famous alumni include Barbara Bush, sponsored the most selfless holiday celebration I have ever witnessed in my life. The families of the students at the school donated so much money and gifts, that each of the 400 students who attend Chicora received a huge shopping bag filled with- socks, underwear, an outfit, and at least five brand new toys. Some children even received new winter coats and shoes. Prior to the 17th the teachers at Chicora visited a warehouse that Ashley Hall rents out just for this occasion, and picked out items for their students. Every teacher also received a huge bag full of pens, pencils, paper, and other teaching supplies. I had previously heard about how generous Ashley Hall was, but this far exceeded my expectations. I had the pleasure of taking pictures of the children when they received their presents from Santa and it brought my to tears! I am in awe at how selfless people with wealth can be. It even made the front cover of our local newspaper! You can read the article here- http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/dec/18/season-of-giving/ The entire day left my heart smiling and a warm feeling all over. It made me truly thankful for what I have and truly proud to work at Chicora.
That next day, Friday the 18th, I was supposed to work a full day, come home and pack, then head to Myrtle Beach for the night where my friend Andy lives. The two of us were going to get an early start on Saturday and spend the day in Washington DC sightseeing with our friend from high school Ellen, who lives in Fairfax, VA and is finishing up an engineering degree at George Mason University. Well,it turned out that mother nature had other plans for us! On Friday, the news was flooded with urgent reports of a heavy snow storm coming. So, I worked a half a day, ran home and threw what I could into my car and headed up to pick up Andy. Our plan was to try to beat the snow to Washington DC. South Carolina was hit with a torrential down pour. The kind of driving conditions that make you go about 20mph so you don't hydroplane. It took me over two hours to get to Myrtle Beach, where it normally takes a little over an hour. From there, Andy drove the rest of the way.
The rain did not slow down and stayed the same until we reached North Carolina where we reached our old friend SNOW. We hit it earlier than expected. The snow was coming down just as steadily as the rain did. The driving conditions were AWFUL! Luckily, Andy had some experience driving in the snow. Not so luckily, the coastal areas of North Carolina/Virginia rarely sees snow, therefore the people who live (and drive) in the coastal North Carolina/Virginia areas DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW. Sorry for the caps, but it is the only way to emphasize how bad these people were driving! Now, I know that I am not a good driver in the snow. I know, I know, I grew up in New York and went to college for 4 years in upstate New York. I really have no excuse. However, I do not get behind the wheel of a car when it snows. Other non snow drivers should do the same! We were going between 5mph-20mph the entire way on Route 95 from the middle of NC up to Fairfax, VA. A half a mile did not pass where we didn't see cars on the side of the road, either because they consciously decided to pull over or because they slid there. At one point we were in the left lane, a good sized pick up truck was in the middle lane, and an 18 wheeler was in the right lane. We witnessed the pick up truck lose control of the car and slam right into the 18 wheeler. It made an awful noise and scared me to death!
To make a long (13.5 hours long to be exact) and boring story short, we made it to Ellen's at 3:30am where our wonderful host was curled up on the couch waiting for us. We made dinner and a drink and went right to bed. We woke up to a winter wonderland and a van stuck in her front yard. Really people, learn how to drive in the snow, drive with someone who knows how to drive in the snow or stay at home! I'm not staying the storm wasn't bad, but I have seen worse in New York. We made the best of it in Fairfax. Although I did not get to see the sites of Washington DC we had fun trekking to the grocery store in the snow and catching up. We even roughed it to walk to a sports bar to watch the Cowboys/Saints game. All in all, it made for a good story and we made it home Sunday without any trouble.
I had an amazing two week vacation at home. Having a nice long break is an excellent perk of working in a school. To all my education major friends- you picked well! I kept busy during my time home. On that Tuesday I met three of my college roommates in NYC to do some fun touristy things. We saw the tree- which we all thought looked a little smaller than normal, but I guess we are just getting older. We just enjoyed each others company and took in the sites. There's something about the notoriously cold and unfriendly city on New York around Christmas time that just gives it a warm and inviting character. It's one of the many reasons I am in love with the city! I got my New York pizza fix, and besides the calories being posted on the pizza (I hate this NYC law) I throughly enjoyed it- Hey I walked a lot that day! No one makes pizza like the hole in the wall NYC pizza joints.
Christmas was just the four of us and it made for a nice and quiet holiday.It marked my first Christmas of almost all adult gifts! I got a lamp, a george forman grill, some fancy coach coasters, a spice rack, work clothes and lots of groceries. All things I needed and will enjoy. I also got money and a gas card! yay! That night we had a delicious dinner of surf and turf. It was a truly wonderful Christmas with a lot to be thankful for!
In between Christmas and New Years was packed with lots of fun events as well. On that Saturday, I got together with my girl friends from High School and we had a pot luck dinner as our Christmas gifts to eachother. I made my mom's famous taco dip and some quessidilla roll ups. We also had chicken parm, penne a la vodka, vegetarian lasagna, salad and cookies. It was a fun and budget friendly way to celebrate Christmas with old friends. The next day, my Aunt Jean and Grandmother came to visit from Pittsburgh. We had a lot of fun! We went into NYC for a day and also saw the tree and other sites. Times Square was crazy getting ready for the New Year's Eve Celebration. We considered eating somewhere else for lunch but went back to our favorite little Italian place on Restaurant Row called DaRosina. Don't fix what's not broken, right? It was fun to have another Christmas celebration and great to see them as well.
I got to go to a Siena Basketball game while I was home as well and spend a night in Albany. It was really great to see everyone. Before meeting up with my friends I got a chance to stop by my old job at the Siena Friary. It was so great to see my old boss Mark and a couple of the friars. I worked there for four years during college and it was the best job I ever had! It might be the only job I'll ever have where I looked forward to going to work. We caught up with each others lives and promised to keep in touch more. Then it was off to Kaitlyn's cute Brownstone apartment right off of Lark Street. A lot of Siena grads settle in the Albany area. Hanging out with everyone made me miss my alama mater a lot. The game was great- We played St. Josephs and were tied at half, but the Saints continued their 28-game winning streak at home and won in the end!
I rang in the new year with friends in Long Beach. A lot of people have been hating on 2009. It was a tough year financially for just about everyone, jobs were lost, graduation threw a lot of my friends into the real world with no direction and no job prospects. However, I still think 2009 was a good year. I had a lot of changes in my life, but things are great for me right now. So, 2009, hate to see you go, but I am excited about the new changes and transformations that will happen in 2010. So bring it twenty ten!
On a sad note, the Siena community lost one of their own on Sunday Night. Our friend Kellie Duggan lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 21. I was extremely sad to hear the news and would ask everyone to say a prayer for Kellie and the Duggan family. Kellie was a great friend and person and will sincerely be missed. You can read her obituary here- http://www.legacy.com/SouthOfBoston-Ledger/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=138179567
On Thursday, December 17th, Chicora had our official Holiday Celebration. Ashley Hall, a local prestigious private all-girls school whose famous alumni include Barbara Bush, sponsored the most selfless holiday celebration I have ever witnessed in my life. The families of the students at the school donated so much money and gifts, that each of the 400 students who attend Chicora received a huge shopping bag filled with- socks, underwear, an outfit, and at least five brand new toys. Some children even received new winter coats and shoes. Prior to the 17th the teachers at Chicora visited a warehouse that Ashley Hall rents out just for this occasion, and picked out items for their students. Every teacher also received a huge bag full of pens, pencils, paper, and other teaching supplies. I had previously heard about how generous Ashley Hall was, but this far exceeded my expectations. I had the pleasure of taking pictures of the children when they received their presents from Santa and it brought my to tears! I am in awe at how selfless people with wealth can be. It even made the front cover of our local newspaper! You can read the article here- http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/dec/18/season-of-giving/ The entire day left my heart smiling and a warm feeling all over. It made me truly thankful for what I have and truly proud to work at Chicora.
That next day, Friday the 18th, I was supposed to work a full day, come home and pack, then head to Myrtle Beach for the night where my friend Andy lives. The two of us were going to get an early start on Saturday and spend the day in Washington DC sightseeing with our friend from high school Ellen, who lives in Fairfax, VA and is finishing up an engineering degree at George Mason University. Well,it turned out that mother nature had other plans for us! On Friday, the news was flooded with urgent reports of a heavy snow storm coming. So, I worked a half a day, ran home and threw what I could into my car and headed up to pick up Andy. Our plan was to try to beat the snow to Washington DC. South Carolina was hit with a torrential down pour. The kind of driving conditions that make you go about 20mph so you don't hydroplane. It took me over two hours to get to Myrtle Beach, where it normally takes a little over an hour. From there, Andy drove the rest of the way.
The rain did not slow down and stayed the same until we reached North Carolina where we reached our old friend SNOW. We hit it earlier than expected. The snow was coming down just as steadily as the rain did. The driving conditions were AWFUL! Luckily, Andy had some experience driving in the snow. Not so luckily, the coastal areas of North Carolina/Virginia rarely sees snow, therefore the people who live (and drive) in the coastal North Carolina/Virginia areas DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW. Sorry for the caps, but it is the only way to emphasize how bad these people were driving! Now, I know that I am not a good driver in the snow. I know, I know, I grew up in New York and went to college for 4 years in upstate New York. I really have no excuse. However, I do not get behind the wheel of a car when it snows. Other non snow drivers should do the same! We were going between 5mph-20mph the entire way on Route 95 from the middle of NC up to Fairfax, VA. A half a mile did not pass where we didn't see cars on the side of the road, either because they consciously decided to pull over or because they slid there. At one point we were in the left lane, a good sized pick up truck was in the middle lane, and an 18 wheeler was in the right lane. We witnessed the pick up truck lose control of the car and slam right into the 18 wheeler. It made an awful noise and scared me to death!
To make a long (13.5 hours long to be exact) and boring story short, we made it to Ellen's at 3:30am where our wonderful host was curled up on the couch waiting for us. We made dinner and a drink and went right to bed. We woke up to a winter wonderland and a van stuck in her front yard. Really people, learn how to drive in the snow, drive with someone who knows how to drive in the snow or stay at home! I'm not staying the storm wasn't bad, but I have seen worse in New York. We made the best of it in Fairfax. Although I did not get to see the sites of Washington DC we had fun trekking to the grocery store in the snow and catching up. We even roughed it to walk to a sports bar to watch the Cowboys/Saints game. All in all, it made for a good story and we made it home Sunday without any trouble.
I had an amazing two week vacation at home. Having a nice long break is an excellent perk of working in a school. To all my education major friends- you picked well! I kept busy during my time home. On that Tuesday I met three of my college roommates in NYC to do some fun touristy things. We saw the tree- which we all thought looked a little smaller than normal, but I guess we are just getting older. We just enjoyed each others company and took in the sites. There's something about the notoriously cold and unfriendly city on New York around Christmas time that just gives it a warm and inviting character. It's one of the many reasons I am in love with the city! I got my New York pizza fix, and besides the calories being posted on the pizza (I hate this NYC law) I throughly enjoyed it- Hey I walked a lot that day! No one makes pizza like the hole in the wall NYC pizza joints.
Christmas was just the four of us and it made for a nice and quiet holiday.It marked my first Christmas of almost all adult gifts! I got a lamp, a george forman grill, some fancy coach coasters, a spice rack, work clothes and lots of groceries. All things I needed and will enjoy. I also got money and a gas card! yay! That night we had a delicious dinner of surf and turf. It was a truly wonderful Christmas with a lot to be thankful for!
In between Christmas and New Years was packed with lots of fun events as well. On that Saturday, I got together with my girl friends from High School and we had a pot luck dinner as our Christmas gifts to eachother. I made my mom's famous taco dip and some quessidilla roll ups. We also had chicken parm, penne a la vodka, vegetarian lasagna, salad and cookies. It was a fun and budget friendly way to celebrate Christmas with old friends. The next day, my Aunt Jean and Grandmother came to visit from Pittsburgh. We had a lot of fun! We went into NYC for a day and also saw the tree and other sites. Times Square was crazy getting ready for the New Year's Eve Celebration. We considered eating somewhere else for lunch but went back to our favorite little Italian place on Restaurant Row called DaRosina. Don't fix what's not broken, right? It was fun to have another Christmas celebration and great to see them as well.
I got to go to a Siena Basketball game while I was home as well and spend a night in Albany. It was really great to see everyone. Before meeting up with my friends I got a chance to stop by my old job at the Siena Friary. It was so great to see my old boss Mark and a couple of the friars. I worked there for four years during college and it was the best job I ever had! It might be the only job I'll ever have where I looked forward to going to work. We caught up with each others lives and promised to keep in touch more. Then it was off to Kaitlyn's cute Brownstone apartment right off of Lark Street. A lot of Siena grads settle in the Albany area. Hanging out with everyone made me miss my alama mater a lot. The game was great- We played St. Josephs and were tied at half, but the Saints continued their 28-game winning streak at home and won in the end!
I rang in the new year with friends in Long Beach. A lot of people have been hating on 2009. It was a tough year financially for just about everyone, jobs were lost, graduation threw a lot of my friends into the real world with no direction and no job prospects. However, I still think 2009 was a good year. I had a lot of changes in my life, but things are great for me right now. So, 2009, hate to see you go, but I am excited about the new changes and transformations that will happen in 2010. So bring it twenty ten!
On a sad note, the Siena community lost one of their own on Sunday Night. Our friend Kellie Duggan lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 21. I was extremely sad to hear the news and would ask everyone to say a prayer for Kellie and the Duggan family. Kellie was a great friend and person and will sincerely be missed. You can read her obituary here- http://www.legacy.com/SouthOfBoston-Ledger/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=138179567
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Snowed in :)
Just wanted to update everyone that I am safe and sound in Fairfax, Virgina at my friend Ellen's house! I left Charleston at noon yesterday and my friend Andrew and I arrived in the DC area at 3:30am this morning. We were going 5-20mph up 95 almost the entire way. We saw a pickup truck hit an 18 wheeler in the lane next to us!! Luckily Andrew is an experienced snow driver and we made it here safely! We will be snowed in for awhile though. Fortunetly, Ellen lives very close to a 7-11 so we have plenty of food and drink. Now it feels like Christmas!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Post Thanksgiving update
Well well well my favorite holiday has come and gone. But it was wonderful!! I flew in on Wednesday night with out a hitch. I was a little nervous because there was a lot of delays that day because of rain and fog, but fortunately that did not affect me. After a speedy lay over in Washington D.C. I landed in LGA on time on the busiest travel day of the year. My best friend Maggie picked me up and we had one of those run and jump hugs that is usually reserved for the movies. Ohhh it was good to be home.
When I got home my lovely parents had wine and cheese waiting for me! Not too long after that six of my girl friends arrived. My dad had made one of my all time favorites- chicken parm! It was delicious. After that I headed out with the girls to the local dive bar to catch up with some old friends from high school. It was fun to see everyone!
Thanksgiving morning my sister and I got up and went for a run. I love running in the cold- it's been a long time. It reminded me of High School soccer. Nothing like working up that cold sweat on a beautiful autumn afternoon! After that I was ready to eat. Though it was nice having a quiet thanksgiving I missed Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. Everyone snuggled up in Aunt Jean's living room with the aroma of Turkey filling the house. The catching up with relatives you haven't talked to in awhile. Picking the names for Secret Santa and mapping out our plan of attack for Black Friday.
But the four of us had a nice Thanksgiving none the less, with enough food to feed an army. I made the mashed potatoes (my favorite) Immediately after dinner mom and Kelsey zonked out. So dad and I did the dished then sat on the couch to watch football. When everyone woke up we played Cranium and went to bed early. All in all, it was fabulous.
On Friday we were part of the other crazies who woke up early to do some black Friday shopping. Target was out of control. Had three different lines wrapped in various directions around the store. My dad was a trooper and waited on the line. I got some nice work clothes at NY&Co and a George Foreman grill. Gosh I feel like I'm getting old.
Friday night my Roommate from Siena came down and we went to my favorite restaurant of all time - HACIENDA!! On Sunday my family and I went to the Jets game thanks to our awesome neighbor Mark. It was a beautiful day for a football game. Ironically they were playing the Carolina Panthers. But we cheered for the Jets. It was a great end to a great long weekend.
Being in New York again made me realize just how different the South is from the North. Just the whole feeling. The feeling of the people, the rawness of the North is so different than the openness of the south. I haven't quite figured out how to put these differences in writing yet. But it was just something I could feel. Perhaps when I go home again for Christmas I will be able to articulate it more. I am driving up to New York on the 19th!
That's all for now. I have somehow come down with the flu (again) mixed with Strep Throat- YUCK. I've been bed ridden for 3 days and I'm just itching to feel better!! Pray for my speedy recovery and a safe trip home in a week or so. That's all for now!
Kelsey, My mom, and me at the Jets game!
When I got home my lovely parents had wine and cheese waiting for me! Not too long after that six of my girl friends arrived. My dad had made one of my all time favorites- chicken parm! It was delicious. After that I headed out with the girls to the local dive bar to catch up with some old friends from high school. It was fun to see everyone!
Thanksgiving morning my sister and I got up and went for a run. I love running in the cold- it's been a long time. It reminded me of High School soccer. Nothing like working up that cold sweat on a beautiful autumn afternoon! After that I was ready to eat. Though it was nice having a quiet thanksgiving I missed Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. Everyone snuggled up in Aunt Jean's living room with the aroma of Turkey filling the house. The catching up with relatives you haven't talked to in awhile. Picking the names for Secret Santa and mapping out our plan of attack for Black Friday.
But the four of us had a nice Thanksgiving none the less, with enough food to feed an army. I made the mashed potatoes (my favorite) Immediately after dinner mom and Kelsey zonked out. So dad and I did the dished then sat on the couch to watch football. When everyone woke up we played Cranium and went to bed early. All in all, it was fabulous.
On Friday we were part of the other crazies who woke up early to do some black Friday shopping. Target was out of control. Had three different lines wrapped in various directions around the store. My dad was a trooper and waited on the line. I got some nice work clothes at NY&Co and a George Foreman grill. Gosh I feel like I'm getting old.
Friday night my Roommate from Siena came down and we went to my favorite restaurant of all time - HACIENDA!! On Sunday my family and I went to the Jets game thanks to our awesome neighbor Mark. It was a beautiful day for a football game. Ironically they were playing the Carolina Panthers. But we cheered for the Jets. It was a great end to a great long weekend.
Being in New York again made me realize just how different the South is from the North. Just the whole feeling. The feeling of the people, the rawness of the North is so different than the openness of the south. I haven't quite figured out how to put these differences in writing yet. But it was just something I could feel. Perhaps when I go home again for Christmas I will be able to articulate it more. I am driving up to New York on the 19th!
That's all for now. I have somehow come down with the flu (again) mixed with Strep Throat- YUCK. I've been bed ridden for 3 days and I'm just itching to feel better!! Pray for my speedy recovery and a safe trip home in a week or so. That's all for now!
Kelsey, My mom, and me at the Jets game!
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