Most recent guilty pleasure (no judgment please): Perez Hilton...some of his comments are just hilarious.
This past week was perhaps one of the busiest yet. I guess you can say that life here in Philadelphia is in full-swing, and I've established a good routine. As of today at exactly 4:15 p.m. I am a registered, inspected Pennsylvania driver...and let me tell, what a process the transfer was! For the past two weeks, my Wednesdays and Thursdays off from work have been spent on waiting in a tag agency (for the paperwork), a dealership (to fix my power window) and an inspection station (to take my money). The thought of possibly have to do this again in two years is tiring :P
Graduate classes continue to go very well, and on Thursday as I rushed to finish a short research paper I remembered just how cumbersome citations and MLA/APA formats are. LaSalle also requires all papers to be submitted to TurnItIn.com in order to detect plagiarism, so that whole process was new to me. I literally bit my nails as I waited for my results, and luckily only 2% of my paper was recognizable: a quote and my references! Apparently someone was once asked to leave the program because of plagiarism....crazy cakes, the things people do.
In other news, I find it amazing that Britney Spears and Jena 6 share practically equal spots in the headlines...does that seem strange to anyone else? (If you're a Mac user, I highly recommend the MSNBC gadget for your dashboard...oh, and the Chuck Norris quotes gadget too).
Before I sign off for the evening, I just want to congratulate the one and only Rachel M. on her new endeavor. Rachel, if you're reading this, click here to celebrate properly. You deserve it :)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
the people i have found
Two-year old moment of the day: Snipping my finger with scissors while cutting open a bag. I think I need to regress to safety scissors.
Driving home from class the other night, I heard Elton John's "Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters" on the radio. Although I'd heard it many times, that was the first time I ever listened to the words. It's one of those songs that immediately makes you feel sentimental and nostalgic...I thought, "You know what, life is good and I'm blessed by amazing people." Cruising home on a surprisingly calm Roosevelt Boulevard, I had a beautiful little moment.
This evening I had a similar moment when I received a card in the mail from dearly-missed friends. I doubt they knew this, but the timing was perfect. Today I was (finally!) officially certified as a teller. What does this mean? Well friends, it means I can have my own drawer/window to run transactions out of, instead of observing others and working out of their drawer. Now I have to work for realsies.
For a moment there I seriously doubted myself and wondered if I was cut out to be a teller, mainly because I was intimidated by the certification process. I got over it, did the best I could and apparently that was enough. I got high fives all around from my coworkers, and great feedback. Coming home to this Flashdance themed card (pictured above), which says "You've got the will. You've got the skill" and sings "What A Feelin'" when opened, brought quite a smile to my face (and warm fuzzies in general). I'm so lucky to have "just because" thoughtful friends.
Driving home from class the other night, I heard Elton John's "Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters" on the radio. Although I'd heard it many times, that was the first time I ever listened to the words. It's one of those songs that immediately makes you feel sentimental and nostalgic...I thought, "You know what, life is good and I'm blessed by amazing people." Cruising home on a surprisingly calm Roosevelt Boulevard, I had a beautiful little moment.
This evening I had a similar moment when I received a card in the mail from dearly-missed friends. I doubt they knew this, but the timing was perfect. Today I was (finally!) officially certified as a teller. What does this mean? Well friends, it means I can have my own drawer/window to run transactions out of, instead of observing others and working out of their drawer. Now I have to work for realsies.For a moment there I seriously doubted myself and wondered if I was cut out to be a teller, mainly because I was intimidated by the certification process. I got over it, did the best I could and apparently that was enough. I got high fives all around from my coworkers, and great feedback. Coming home to this Flashdance themed card (pictured above), which says "You've got the will. You've got the skill" and sings "What A Feelin'" when opened, brought quite a smile to my face (and warm fuzzies in general). I'm so lucky to have "just because" thoughtful friends.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
whatta shame
Movie I can't wait to see: Beowulf...finally, a classic!
I'm currently watching the MTV video music awards, and so far it's just plain terrible. And I'm pretty sure no one knows what's
going on, especially the presenters. What have we done to music? And television? I have a running joke with some of my friends that we should pray for celebrities. It all started with the song "4 in the morning" by Gwen Stefani and my comment that the lyrics painted quite a sad picture of unrequited affection....a trend in many of her songs. The conversation then moved on to the big celebrity disappointments (people who started off strong and sadly trashed themselves): Whitney Houston, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, and the infamous Britney. Don't they all need prayer? I thought so.
I'm currently watching the MTV video music awards, and so far it's just plain terrible. And I'm pretty sure no one knows what's
going on, especially the presenters. What have we done to music? And television? I have a running joke with some of my friends that we should pray for celebrities. It all started with the song "4 in the morning" by Gwen Stefani and my comment that the lyrics painted quite a sad picture of unrequited affection....a trend in many of her songs. The conversation then moved on to the big celebrity disappointments (people who started off strong and sadly trashed themselves): Whitney Houston, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, and the infamous Britney. Don't they all need prayer? I thought so.Tuesday, September 4, 2007
summer's end
great moment in nerdom: "The church needs to be like the Jedi Order" - Jon, in response to a conversation about the book "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical"
So as I do with most things I don't fully understand, I consult Wikipedia. As Michael from The Office says, "Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.” Well, according to the reliable Wiki, Labor Day is a day of rest for the working man and symbolizes the end of summer. I'm not sure if that first part is true for everyone (especially my dear friends working in higher education) but thankfully it was true for me.
After a very long Friday at the bank, a three-day weekend was certainly welcomed by all. Jon and I made a B line for the Jersey shore to enjoy what was left of our summer since both of our schedules will soon accelerate. We finally saw Superbad (definitely not one for the kids), and hit up Borders for some new books. In the typical English-major fashion, I couldn't resist my affinity for the classics so I purchased an attractive copy of Wuthering Heights. Currently, I'm reading the book mentioned in the above quote, and so far I'm tearing through it. Shane Claiborne is a captivating communicator with a contagious heart for true discipleship; please do yourself a favor and read "The Irresistible Revolution" when you get the chance.
Although lazier days have come to an end, I'm anxious for the full swing of fall. Sometimes I think I'm crazy for signing up for more school and all the work that comes with it, but I secretly love being a student. Ok, not so secretly. Now that I'm a student again, I promise I'll look to more reliable sources than Wikipedia for information ;)
So as I do with most things I don't fully understand, I consult Wikipedia. As Michael from The Office says, "Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.” Well, according to the reliable Wiki, Labor Day is a day of rest for the working man and symbolizes the end of summer. I'm not sure if that first part is true for everyone (especially my dear friends working in higher education) but thankfully it was true for me.
After a very long Friday at the bank, a three-day weekend was certainly welcomed by all. Jon and I made a B line for the Jersey shore to enjoy what was left of our summer since both of our schedules will soon accelerate. We finally saw Superbad (definitely not one for the kids), and hit up Borders for some new books. In the typical English-major fashion, I couldn't resist my affinity for the classics so I purchased an attractive copy of Wuthering Heights. Currently, I'm reading the book mentioned in the above quote, and so far I'm tearing through it. Shane Claiborne is a captivating communicator with a contagious heart for true discipleship; please do yourself a favor and read "The Irresistible Revolution" when you get the chance.Although lazier days have come to an end, I'm anxious for the full swing of fall. Sometimes I think I'm crazy for signing up for more school and all the work that comes with it, but I secretly love being a student. Ok, not so secretly. Now that I'm a student again, I promise I'll look to more reliable sources than Wikipedia for information ;)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
never stop exploring
Current favorite dish: Bulgogi (a popular Korean dish)
My first experience with Korean food was somewhat of a comical tragedy. Although I already had a palette for international cuisines such as Japanese and Thai food, I really was not prepared for the Korean experience. I spent half of the meal time trying to figure out kimchi, or why Koreans prefer to eat soup while it's still boiling. (Ouch..goodbye taste buds). The other half of the meal time was spent giggling with Rachel over how intense one of our fellow diners was about doing everything the Korean way while we ate. He was too intense to even notice we were on the verge of hysterics.
I am happy to announce, however, that I've become quite fond of
the Korean dishes I've recently had. There's a Japanese & Korean restaurant next to the bank that I've been to twice, and I'm already craving their lunches on a daily basis (although I'm not sure my intestines could handle that). Bulgogi is where it's at, so I highly recommend...with a side of hot sauce if you can. The owner gave me a side of fried anchovies to try, and I can't say I shared his enthusiasm over how good they'd be. And they weren't. It was possibly the fishiest aftertaste I've ever had.
Unlike my initial experience with Korean food, my first impressions of LaSalle's graduate classe
s were immediately favorable. The classes are relatively small (only about 20 people), the professors are warm yet sharply professional and my peers seem friendly. Last night I began the fall semester with Effective Presentations, originally called Advanced Oral Communication. This one's going to be a stretch for me. While I love talking to people, I usually prefer it to be one-on-one. In the past, I've only been comfortable talking in front of larger groups when the context is instructional (i.e. teaching a dance class). As an ice-breaker, we had to bring in a sentimental object and present it to the class. I enjoyed doing this, but for a second I thought I heard my lisp return and I freaked out. :P Anyway, I'm looking forward to improving as a speaker.
My first experience with Korean food was somewhat of a comical tragedy. Although I already had a palette for international cuisines such as Japanese and Thai food, I really was not prepared for the Korean experience. I spent half of the meal time trying to figure out kimchi, or why Koreans prefer to eat soup while it's still boiling. (Ouch..goodbye taste buds). The other half of the meal time was spent giggling with Rachel over how intense one of our fellow diners was about doing everything the Korean way while we ate. He was too intense to even notice we were on the verge of hysterics.
I am happy to announce, however, that I've become quite fond of
the Korean dishes I've recently had. There's a Japanese & Korean restaurant next to the bank that I've been to twice, and I'm already craving their lunches on a daily basis (although I'm not sure my intestines could handle that). Bulgogi is where it's at, so I highly recommend...with a side of hot sauce if you can. The owner gave me a side of fried anchovies to try, and I can't say I shared his enthusiasm over how good they'd be. And they weren't. It was possibly the fishiest aftertaste I've ever had.Unlike my initial experience with Korean food, my first impressions of LaSalle's graduate classe
s were immediately favorable. The classes are relatively small (only about 20 people), the professors are warm yet sharply professional and my peers seem friendly. Last night I began the fall semester with Effective Presentations, originally called Advanced Oral Communication. This one's going to be a stretch for me. While I love talking to people, I usually prefer it to be one-on-one. In the past, I've only been comfortable talking in front of larger groups when the context is instructional (i.e. teaching a dance class). As an ice-breaker, we had to bring in a sentimental object and present it to the class. I enjoyed doing this, but for a second I thought I heard my lisp return and I freaked out. :P Anyway, I'm looking forward to improving as a speaker.Tonight I had my second class, Leadership & Interpersonal Communication, and it was nice to see familiar faces from the Wednesday night class. This class appears to be heavier on the reading and writing, so it's right up my alley. What impresses me already about these classes is how I can see them practically applying to any job I'll have, including my current job as a teller.
I was approved to work a few more hours at the bank each week, so my new schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Friday, & Saturday. This means I won't have to work on the days I have classes, so I'll avoid those long days of going straight from work to class. Good stuff.
I was approved to work a few more hours at the bank each week, so my new schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Friday, & Saturday. This means I won't have to work on the days I have classes, so I'll avoid those long days of going straight from work to class. Good stuff.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
"owen doesn't have a friend!"
Quote of the weekend: "A beagle could turn him on" - my mother referring to Bret Michaels
My mother is by far one of the funniest people I've ever known. I grew up people-watching with her, finding humor in the every-day happenings just as they do in Seinfeld. Needless to say, we have several inside jokes about public faux pas we've observed or experienced, and still crack up over reenactments. Scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Throw Momma from the Train will never get old, and neither will personal phrases like "[he/she] could complicate a fart." There's a timeless comedy between us.
Jon and I weren't in NJ an hour before my mother was showing us an episode of Chappelle's Show, and we were cracking up like silly little kids. Her new place is in walking distance to a delicious Mexican restaurant called Senoritas, so earlier we had strolled over there for dinner on Friday. Being home and chowing down with mom was relaxing after a stop-and-go commute from Philly, but finally hanging out in the new apartment was luxurious (especially compared to my apartment!). I don't know much about feng shui but I think my mom and Fred have achieved it - the place is so peaceful and inviting.
The rest of the weekend was spent visiting more family and hanging out with some friends I hadn't seen in a long time. Jon finally had the opportunity to spend time with friends I grew up with, and it's amazing how video games/the internet can easily acclimate one guy with another. You never know how well worlds will collide, so it's a very fortunate thing when they get along.
Tomorrow night is my first class at LaSalle, and even though I'm not sure what to expect, I'm very excited. Since I didn't receive the assistantship, I have the availability to work more than my scheduled 20 hours at the bank so I'm hoping that's possible - it would help my finances greatly :c) I'll keep you posted!
My mother is by far one of the funniest people I've ever known. I grew up people-watching with her, finding humor in the every-day happenings just as they do in Seinfeld. Needless to say, we have several inside jokes about public faux pas we've observed or experienced, and still crack up over reenactments. Scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Throw Momma from the Train will never get old, and neither will personal phrases like "[he/she] could complicate a fart." There's a timeless comedy between us.Jon and I weren't in NJ an hour before my mother was showing us an episode of Chappelle's Show, and we were cracking up like silly little kids. Her new place is in walking distance to a delicious Mexican restaurant called Senoritas, so earlier we had strolled over there for dinner on Friday. Being home and chowing down with mom was relaxing after a stop-and-go commute from Philly, but finally hanging out in the new apartment was luxurious (especially compared to my apartment!). I don't know much about feng shui but I think my mom and Fred have achieved it - the place is so peaceful and inviting.
The rest of the weekend was spent visiting more family and hanging out with some friends I hadn't seen in a long time. Jon finally had the opportunity to spend time with friends I grew up with, and it's amazing how video games/the internet can easily acclimate one guy with another. You never know how well worlds will collide, so it's a very fortunate thing when they get along.
Tomorrow night is my first class at LaSalle, and even though I'm not sure what to expect, I'm very excited. Since I didn't receive the assistantship, I have the availability to work more than my scheduled 20 hours at the bank so I'm hoping that's possible - it would help my finances greatly :c) I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
rapping to Fresh Prince never gets old
Jersey pride moment of the day: ordering a panini called the Soprano from the Noshery cafe for lunch.
You know, I've never been one of those people to broadcast my NJ pride. When many of my college friends first met me they thought I was from a small town in PA until they heard my "accent." In fact, someone actually thought I was from France freshman year. When I asked him why, he said, "Because you were quiet and wore dress pants a lot."
So I don't exactly embody the typical Jersey girl. (I do however love the Sopranos, Bon Jovi, going down the shore, tattoos and cutting over several highway lanes at a time...that counts for something, right?). Regardless, I miss the bajesus out of New Jersey and all the dearly loved faces and places that wait for me there. Just thinking about going home this weekend gave me an extremely comforting feeling today.
This weekend I'll be seeing my mom and stepdad's new place for the first time, which sounds beautiful. It's in a "New York luxury" styled apartment building, and my mom is crazy about having central air and elevators. She deserves every bit of it and I can't wait to enjoy enjoy it with her.
Hopefully I get out of work early tomorrow so I can get on my way to the good ole Garden State Parkway. Tomorrow I actually get to start processing basic teller transactions (with guidance) so wish me luck!
You know, I've never been one of those people to broadcast my NJ pride. When many of my college friends first met me they thought I was from a small town in PA until they heard my "accent." In fact, someone actually thought I was from France freshman year. When I asked him why, he said, "Because you were quiet and wore dress pants a lot."
So I don't exactly embody the typical Jersey girl. (I do however love the Sopranos, Bon Jovi, going down the shore, tattoos and cutting over several highway lanes at a time...that counts for something, right?). Regardless, I miss the bajesus out of New Jersey and all the dearly loved faces and places that wait for me there. Just thinking about going home this weekend gave me an extremely comforting feeling today.
This weekend I'll be seeing my mom and stepdad's new place for the first time, which sounds beautiful. It's in a "New York luxury" styled apartment building, and my mom is crazy about having central air and elevators. She deserves every bit of it and I can't wait to enjoy enjoy it with her.
Hopefully I get out of work early tomorrow so I can get on my way to the good ole Garden State Parkway. Tomorrow I actually get to start processing basic teller transactions (with guidance) so wish me luck!
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