What do Mother Teresa, Nicole Kidman and I have in common?

We have the same personality, duh.

No seriously, look:

Oh yeah and don’t forget Nelson Mandela and John Calvin. I don’t know who the hell John Bradshaw is, but he’s part of our motley crew as well. I could have come up with amazing imagery for this if only I had Photoshop…

Anyways.

After yesterday’s post I kept thinking about how I can't really expect anything to change if I don't make a change. Picking up writing again is a good start, but it's not a job. It doesn't pay the bills.

 

I remembered a few years ago Major Dad had sent me a “personality test.” Based on the results it gives you the most popular careers for your personality type. And these days I’m kind of curious. So I asked him to resend it to me and I took it again. My results were…surprising.

 

Social Work- I hear the stories Bestie comes home with …No.

Librarian- Although I do love books, I hate extended periods of silence...and alphabatizing things. No.

Law- As much as I'd love a reason to yell “I OBJECT” in a public place, I know enough about myself to admit that I don’t do well under pressure. No.

Early Childhood Education- I love little kids but only one or two at a time and in small doses. No.

Pyschology- Hey, I was a psych major once! I got through one semester and--No.

Phsychotherapy- Nice try but I’ve seen What About Bob. No.

-- So at this point I’m wondering do I even know myself at all? None of these things remotely interest me. And I'm pretty sure I would suck at all of them.

HOW DID I FAIL MY OWN PERSONALITY TEST?!

Then, just when I’m wondering if maybe I need to look into seeing a physchotherapist-

Education- This is the only one that sort of made sense. Teaching has always been a consideration. I think it caters to my type-A personality and my tendency to be a tad bossy and a bit too honest.

 

Also who could say no to having summers off? I know I'm probably watering it down quite a bit but that's a pretty good perk right there.

My mom keeps telling me that she could see me teaching at a college level, but that would require going to grad school. No.

I do think I could see myself teaching high school. My favorite teachers were the ones with exceptional snark--who could be a smart-ass without making you feel like a dumbass. The ones who could dish it AND take it.

I'm not really sure what's kept me from looking into teaching a little more. Maybe it's just laziness, or complacency. All I know is I'm ready for a change, I want to do something that actually makes a difference to people.

I'm gunna wrap up by leaving you with some wise words from my personality doppelgangers:

Much love to ya,

 

 

The Life and Times of a Bored Receptionist

Today I'm going to embellish on my response to an awesome post by Tami, which begs the question, "What do you want to do with your life?"

If I had a dollar for every time I asked myself this question, or somebody else asked me for that matter, I wouldn't need a job. I would say "peace out!" and fast-foward to my awesome Maui life. But as it is, curiosity isn't currency.

Confession: I went to college because that's what I thought you were supposed to do. I mean, that's what society tells us, right? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't value my degree, per say. I'm just saying if I could I would go back and do things differently. Whether that means picking a different major, or not going at all, I'm not really sure. All I can say is I'm not where I thought I'd be (wherever that was), and certainly not where I'd like to be.

But where do I want to be? That's the million dollar question.

I admire so many of my best friends who have found what they're passionate about: a social worker, a nurse, an interior designer, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a wedding planner, a stay at home mom. My father and husband are soldiers. My brother is studying to be a behavioral phsychologist for God's sake! Some of them just knew that's what they were meant to do. Others just came to it through time and experience.

I guess I'm still waiting for the right time, the right experience, for the little voice that will let me know, this is it! This is what you're supposed to do.

Or maybe the little voice has been yelling at me all along and I've been afraid to hear it out.

I've always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was little. But I managed to convince myself that writing wasn't a "real job", that my chances of success are one in a million. I put the idea to bed because I was scared I wasn't good enough. I guess I just never had enough faith in myself to pursue something I really love.

Every once and a while I'd dare to wonder, "Why not me?" and finally got the courage to start this blog. It may not ever be a career, but at the very least I can say I finally put myself out there, which is scary as hell.

I think writing at all, even if it's just blogging for fun, is a step in the right direction. Like I mentioned in this post, it gives me a sense of purpose. Maybe one day I'll even work up the nerve to write an actual book. But for now it's enough that I feel like more than "just a receptionist." 

Much love to ya,

 



Rebuilding My Temple #8- I fell off the Hot Tamale Train

Well, it happened. After a month of healthy eating and getting my butt to the gym at least 3 times a week, life got crazy and then...

It's easy to get excited and into a new healthy routine once I get going, but it's just as easy for me to lose my mojo. I started making excuses and then suddenly a week went by and I'd only been to the gym once. I looked at our bank statement and we'd been out to eat most days of the week...yikes. 

Not only is it money we shouldn't be spending (we need to recoup and save for house expenses) but it probably undid a lot of the progress I'd made over the last several weeks. Since I'm not looking at scales all I can do is go by how my body looks and feels:bloated and gross. I've also had pretty consistent stomach cramps.

In my defense, I haven't been totally unproductive. Making time for friends, especially ones I haven't seen in a while, is super important to me. Sometimes our adult lives are so full with babies and jobs and whatever else that the only time we have is a Wednesday at 7:30 pm, which conflicts with yoga. Then 3 hours and a heavy meal later, I'm not really in the mood to hit the gym. It's a slippery slope. 

At least I can say I spent the entire weekend packing and starting to move (with the help of some amazing family and friends, of course.) That's sort of a workout, right? And with a ton more to pack before the official move this Friday, it's going to be really hard to find the time to get to the gym, or grocery shop, or cook.

My problem in the past was that I'd fall off the wagon, feel like there weren't enough hours in the day, or wouldn't see results fast enough. I'd get discouraged and quit. But I'm determined not to let that happen this time. I was starting to feel better about myself, and I don't want to lose that. One way or another, I'll get back on that hot tamale train. Whoooo Whoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much love to ya,

 

 

My Heart Hurts- RIP Kidd Kraddick

I don't usually post on the weekend, but my heart is feeling particularly heavy today. My fellow Texans might have already heard the news, but it was announced yesterday that Kidd Kraddick from the 106.1 Kiss FM morning show passed away. He was only 53 years old, one year older than my parents. The cause of death hasn't been released yet. 

I never thought I was the type of person who would be so strongly affected by the death of a celebrity, if you consider him one. I actually had heard the news several hours before it broke. LT. Hub's brother knew Kidd in a very round-about way, and heard through a friend. We were all hoping that it was a hoax, a really bad prank. We didn't want to believe that this man whose voice we've heard almost every morning for the last 21 years could be gone.

The Kidd Kraddick show may not be everyone's taste, but nobody could deny the good he did in the world during his time here. Not only did he have the ability to make people laugh to the point of tears (I've almost had to pull over my car on some days) but through his foundation Kidd's Kids, an incredible charity he founded which sends terminally ill children and their families to Disney World.

The most bizarre part of this is the timing. Not only was he so young, but just this past week the entire Kidd Kraddick show did a humor bit called "Deathbed Confessions."Only days ago he was laughing at the idea of his own death. It literally gives me chills to hear him saying his goodbyes to his friends. 

My friends and I have all been speculating on how this will play out. Can the show really go on? While each member of the cast brings something special to the table, Kidd was the center of it all, the driving force. It is so evident how much each cast member loves each other, that they are a family. Will they want to continue? If they do, it will never be the same. I know it won't for me.

At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I truly feel like I've lost a friend. My thoughts and prayers are with those closest to him. The world has lost an incredible individual, and there will definitely be a lot less laughter in my mornings.

RIP, Kidd Kraddick. You will be missed very much.

Much love to ya,

 

I'ma try this out- 5 on Friday

This morning I discovered Darci at The Good Life and really it was perfect timing because she has an awesome link up called 5 on Friday. It is the perfect solution to my scatter-brain.

1) I'm so...tired... I had to wake up at 5am to have LT. at the airport by 6:30am. Since there was no point in going back home for 30 minutes I have been at work since 7am. And I know some of y'all are probably like "Wah, wah, wah, I do that every day." Well good for you but I don't and I'm about to faceplant into my keyboard.

2) Last night I had my first anxiety attack over moving a week from today and how we have gotten absolutely nothing accomplished yet. Thank God it was half-price wine night at Macaroni Grill. Silly Macaroni Grill with your crayons and your house wine "honor system..." 

3) We came home from the Mac and found six piles of pooh all over the apartment. SIX. This is not normal. After further investigation (and lots of gagging) I came to discover a freakin earbud in one of the poo nuggets. She had EATEN it off LT.'s headphones. 

4) Later that night I couldn't find my phone but was too tired to care. This morning we found it under the bed--sans Otter Box. Winnie had struck again. Mercifully my phone was mostly ok, but I'm starting to sense a pattern. Is my miniature dachshund trying to tell us that we're too "connected" and need to be spending more "family time?" Just thinking out loud here.

5. Five..five...what should be five? I realized after I took my last dose of Z this morning that I hadn't heard from CVS about my prescription being refilled, which is odd. I looked at the bottle and realized in horror that there is NO AUTOMATIC REFILL. This is probably the worst time to run out anti-anxiety meds, y'all. Hoping I can put a rush-order in on that today. In the meantime...coffee.

 

I'm realizing my 5 are kind of bitchy. Sorry, it's just been one of those mornings. Hopefully yours is better. But at least it's Friday!

 



Much love to ya,

 



I feel pretty!! Oh so Pretty!!

So I'm not gunna lie. When I first installed my new design template I was all

 

 

which progressed into

 

 

But seriously, major props to Simona at Very Simple Design. Even though she is in freakin Italy her response time was so fast and she was super friendly and helpful. If you are just starting out like me and looking for a pre-made blog template, definitely check out her Etsy Shop (I'm obsessed with Etsy by the way). She has lots of cute stuff!

 

So anyways now I'm feeling a little more official, like Cady Heron after she was accepted by the popular crowd...only with less popularity...

 

Much love to ya,

 

 

What Inspired My Blog?

Today I'm linking up with Sarah and Helene to chit chat about what inspires my blog posts.

Obviously I'm super new to this world, and honestly I'm still learning what inspires me. What I can say with a 100% certainty is that writing gives me a sense of fulfillment like nothing else ever has. 

In the short time I've been blogging I have somehow morphed into a happier person. It's not because I feel like I have anything particularly mind-blowing to say, or that I'm seeking validation(although who am I kidding, it's always nice), but because I've found a great outlet to do what I love. Even if nobody ever read my posts, it gives me a sense of accomplishment, a purpose where I didn't have much of one before.

When I was younger, I filled journals and floppy disks with my thoughts and stories. I always wanted to be an author when I grew up. Am I grown up? Hell no. At the ripe-old age of 26 I'm nowhere near where I thought I would be.

I graduated college and ended up with a receptionist job. I battled depression and felt like a total failure, until I decided I need to make a change. One of the commitments I made to myself was to start writing again. So last month, I did.

I'm learning that I'm still young and I have a lot of growing and learning to do. It's totally fine to be in your 20-s and still trying to figure yourself out. It's really pretty perfect actually, cause what better to write about? It's the stuff of life!

Writing is my therapy. Starting this blog has shown me how invaluable expressing myself is to my personal growth and happiness. It would be wonderful if one day I have 5000 followers, and make some really great friends along the way. But even if nobody ever read my posts, I feel like I'm a better person for writing them.

 

Much love to ya,

 

 

Also- I just claimed my blog on Bloglovin :)

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/8764813/?claim=6tbmkm9u6jd">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

That one time I tried to change my layout and deleted all the pretty

To say I'm a total noob at this blogging thing is an understatement.Not to mention the fact that I am not technologically savvy in the least. So before I commense with my official post of the day, I just wanted to apologize for the lack of...pretty? 

Please don't write me off as "that chick with the ugly blog" because I know how important having a snazzy design is, thanks to awesome ladies such as Adriana who are sweet enough to help us baby bloggers out with posts like THIS.

So, I finally decided to lay down some smackers and seek the help of a pro. Hopefully my new blog design will be ready in a couple of days, and I'm super excited for it. In the meanwhile, please bare with the blank :)

*Update* I received my new design and am super happy with how it turned out! 

Much love to ya,

 



Tall Tails: Winnie and the Sweater of Shame

I recently learned that Dachshunds are the #1 Naughtiest Dog and I was not surprised in the least. If you've ever had a Doxie, you can attest to the fact that while adorable, they are also little punks who spend 90% of their time looking for some way to piss you off (or at least that's how it feels). I will demonstrate in a series of pictures.

Baby Winnie- 6 weeks old. So innocent, so sweet...

Oh how naive we were.

It started harmlessly enough.

But it got worse.

Her Toys

My Goggles

Her recently acquired taste for LT.'s gaming controllers, laptop adapters, or anything else with rubbery goodness.

Also, she has a drinking problem.

 

But the worst is the barking. Oh dear God, the barking. And it's not because she's hungry (her food and water bowls are full)or because she needs to pee (the back door is wide open). It's just for the hell of it. Because obviously we can't pay attention to anything else but her. She barks until we play, or until our ears bleed. It ruins otherwise pleasant conversation and movie-watching experiences.

Well, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, and our measure is the Sweater.

We knew Winnie didn't like her sweater, but had no idea of it's magical powers until one fateful day, while LT. was home for leave during the holidays. At the time LT. was unaccustomed to the barking sprees, and in an act of desperation, he shoved her into the sweater. Suddenly--silence. She froze in place and stared up at him in shocked bewilderment. What is this forcefield? This woolen prison?

We don't know the source of it's power, and we don't care. All we know is it's been a life saver. It's like a pink straight-jacket, and it's almost become a party trick of sorts. She's a completely different dog when we put it on her, docile, sweet...but as soon as it comes off, watch yo-self.

LINK IT UP!!!!

Much love to ya,