Blame this post on Ghost Whisperer. This is currently one of my favorite shows and not just because I love most of Melinda's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) wardrobe...
I self-identify as a pragmatist. How so? Well, for our purposes, let's discuss my beliefs (or lack thereof) in things 'other-worldly': ghosts, mutants, basically the supernatural. I cannot remember a time when I believed in ghosts. Even at that age when ghosts and haunted houses are really cool (I think that this time period spans over ages 11-18 or so), I never bought into any of it. I have always firmly believed that once you die, you're a lump in the ground or a pile of ash...whichever method you choose. You don't stand in the middle of the street and haunt passing cars; you don't remain in your childhood home and scare away tenants; etc. I also have always thought that so-called psychics, mediums, etc. are carnival acts. Not much there beyond smoke and mirrors and a lot of people who want to believe.
For a long time, it never even occurred to me to question any of these things. Just the way things are, right? Now I've been watching Ghost Whisperer marathon-style (this is the way I really like to watch TV shows...wait for them to come out on DVD and then rent multiple seasons at a time via Netflix). Add this TV show to the pile of "supernatural" romance novels (Kay Hooper series, for example), "mutant" movies (X-Men anyone?) and assorted other-worldly, pop-culture phenomena and PRESTO...you have a lady who is rethinking her perspective.
I still don't think any of these things exist. I don't think there are people out there who can talk to ghosts and I don't think there are men who look like Hugh Jackman and have blade-like claws, among other things. But I think the monumental shift is the fact that maybe I want to believe in some of these things. I want to believe that there are superheroes out there who will come and save the day.
Also, feel free to chalk up the wandering nature of the rest of this post to two facts: 1) my mp3 player died not even halfway through my 5 mile run this morning, so I've already been doing a lot of thinking today; 2) my one class for the day was cancelled...so I have all day to chatter.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Jesse Show
Oh yeah...it's that time! I have been officially assigned a time slot for my aforementioned radio show. Tune in:
Mondays 3:00p - 4:00p MST
Knowing that this is a time that might be difficult for everyone to listen live, I will be attempting to post recordings of each show here on my blog. We'll see how that works. If anyone has any tips or advice on doing so, please let me know. Just in case you weren't already aware, I am a technophobe and am hopelessly behind the times on all things Internet and blog-related. But, I'm looking forward to learning!
Also...I am encouraging suggestions!! I need a better name than "The Jesse Show", so please feel free to send me ideas for a new and improved title. Also welcome are suggestions on content. What do you like about the radio station(s) to which you currently listen? What don't you like? Tell me, pretty please!!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Woo-Woo Radioland!
Greetings! One of my classes this semester is Intro to Radio Production. I am really enjoying things so far, but am certainly looking forward to the weeks to come. One requirement for this class is for each student to produce and air their own radio show each week. I haven't gotten my timeslot assigned yet, but I will know that info shortly.
In the meantime...you can listen to SLCC Globe Radio Online here. For anyone who is looking forward to listening to ME (God help us...), I will update when I hear which timeslot I'll be working.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Resolutions
So, another First for me in 2010 is resolutions. I've never been a big Resolution-er type gal. But, this year, I decided to give it a go. Now, as far as I can see, the biggest obstacle to Resolution-ing is the ability to set track-able Resolutions for yourself. So, I am planning on using my blog for tracking purposes. Yay for everyone who is totally STOKED to read about my Resolutions. I promise to try to make the blogs funny reading and I figure that I may not always have to try too hard...
So, the half-marathon one is pretty straight-forward. I will be training and running in one - 'nuff said.
"Un-tethering"...I tried to think of a cool catch-phrase for this one. The coolest I could get was "No-'Tron" (as in: no electronics). But I didn't think that really described it. Anyway, here goes. I would like to learn to detach myself a little from my cell phone. When I worked at my old job, I was the proud owner of a sweet Blackberry. I also was the not-so-proud recipient of about a gazillion messages and phone calls. So, during my employment, I became one of those folks who checks their phone every ten seconds...pure necessity here. Anyway, now that I'm not in that career anymore, I get maybe 1/10,000 as many messages. However, I think that over the last few months, I am checking my phone MORE OFTEN. It's driving me bonkers. I've noticed other people doing it too and it drives me nuts. I don't have any control over other folks, but I sure can control myself! So, I will be turning my phone off (or possibly on 'silent'...haven't totally decided that yet) for at least ONE HOUR every day. Yo, yo. I am actually the most excited about this particular resolution. Do you know how depressing it is to check your phone every ten seconds and, OH! No messages still!!? So, I am WALKING AWAY FROM THE PHONE. Not completely away, because I do feel that cell phones have become a necessity. But definitely learning to lose the cell a little.
So, when I moved in to my current abode, I had neighbors who were on their way out. I had this super plan to make the new neighbors cookies and be very friendly!! For one reason or another (basically, I was just being my lazy and introverted hermit self), I never got around to it. Well, here we are about ten months later, and the current neighbors are moving out. So, someday here soon, I will be getting new neighbors. And I am setting that goal for myself again. At the very least, I should make them some freaking cookies. And let them know that trash day is Tuesday and they're more than welcome to take out and/or bring in the cans. :)
FINALLY...Chillax. Oh ye who read my Ranting at the Bank blog from the other day (or this freaking one from a while ago...man, I've had this problem too long) probably understand this one. Obviously, I need to learn to take a chill pill and let things simmer down a little bit. And even if it's not obvious in my blog, it definitely is in other areas of my life. Soooooo...this goal, not as trackable as the others...but still very important to my other goal of living happily for a little while.
So the explanation of the Resolutions took up a lot of time. I promise that follow-up posts about my status on each will be a lot shorter.
Jesse's Official 2010 New Year's Resolutions
Train for and complete a half-marathon
Work on technologically "un-tethering" myself
Have new neighbors moving in soon (I think)...be nice and neighborly to them
CHILLAX...stop stressing so much
So, the half-marathon one is pretty straight-forward. I will be training and running in one - 'nuff said.
"Un-tethering"...I tried to think of a cool catch-phrase for this one. The coolest I could get was "No-'Tron" (as in: no electronics). But I didn't think that really described it. Anyway, here goes. I would like to learn to detach myself a little from my cell phone. When I worked at my old job, I was the proud owner of a sweet Blackberry. I also was the not-so-proud recipient of about a gazillion messages and phone calls. So, during my employment, I became one of those folks who checks their phone every ten seconds...pure necessity here. Anyway, now that I'm not in that career anymore, I get maybe 1/10,000 as many messages. However, I think that over the last few months, I am checking my phone MORE OFTEN. It's driving me bonkers. I've noticed other people doing it too and it drives me nuts. I don't have any control over other folks, but I sure can control myself! So, I will be turning my phone off (or possibly on 'silent'...haven't totally decided that yet) for at least ONE HOUR every day. Yo, yo. I am actually the most excited about this particular resolution. Do you know how depressing it is to check your phone every ten seconds and, OH! No messages still!!? So, I am WALKING AWAY FROM THE PHONE. Not completely away, because I do feel that cell phones have become a necessity. But definitely learning to lose the cell a little.
So, when I moved in to my current abode, I had neighbors who were on their way out. I had this super plan to make the new neighbors cookies and be very friendly!! For one reason or another (basically, I was just being my lazy and introverted hermit self), I never got around to it. Well, here we are about ten months later, and the current neighbors are moving out. So, someday here soon, I will be getting new neighbors. And I am setting that goal for myself again. At the very least, I should make them some freaking cookies. And let them know that trash day is Tuesday and they're more than welcome to take out and/or bring in the cans. :)
FINALLY...Chillax. Oh ye who read my Ranting at the Bank blog from the other day (or this freaking one from a while ago...man, I've had this problem too long) probably understand this one. Obviously, I need to learn to take a chill pill and let things simmer down a little bit. And even if it's not obvious in my blog, it definitely is in other areas of my life. Soooooo...this goal, not as trackable as the others...but still very important to my other goal of living happily for a little while.
So the explanation of the Resolutions took up a lot of time. I promise that follow-up posts about my status on each will be a lot shorter.
Mayonnaise...and other assorted items
So, the past two days have been my crash course in all things Corner Bakery Cafe. Well, not all things because I haven't gotten to taste much yet - that's to come on Thursday, I'm told. BUT, I have gotten to taste every variety of mayonnaise that is served at CBC! WOO-WOO! Yep...we've got pesto mayonnaise, sundried tomato & pesto mayonnaise, stoneground mustard mayonnaise and chipotle lime cilantro mayonnaise. I actually listed all of those out to test myself, see if I could remember them all. Whew, I just double checked and I did remember them all. Anyway, they were all enjoyable (though the chipotle lime is my personal favorite). Of course, they're all made with mayonnaise which is probably my favorite condiment - or, at the very least, in the top three. It was today that I officially decided that if I eat there too often, I will no longer fit through standard size doors. I mean, check out all the mayonnaise!! Not that what is served there is unhealthy because it's not. If you order a standard (or even customized) sandwich, it's probably a pretty healthy choice. Buuuuuuut...if you're the Sandwich Maker (like myself) and can go ahead and invent sandwiches for yourself (for example, the All Our Mayos Sandwich), you might end up gaining a few L.B's. Just sayin'... I will definitely need to practice my will-power.
The other thing I've been able to practice whilst working is walking around and yelling pertinent information about my location and/or what I'm carrying around. Example: "KNIFE! KNIFE COMING THROUGH!!" Or: "BEHIND YOU!! HOT SOUP BEHIND YOU!" I'm really not good at this and will need to improve my yelling skills. I will be spending a lot of time carrying and using knives. For anyone who knows my...er...klutziness, yes, I am a wee bit concerned. But I have been super careful so far.
And today, I learned how to julienne!! WOO-WOO. I've really always wanted to know how to do that. For starters, you need a really large and very sharp knife. I don't own a knife that falls under both of those categories, so I'll need to work on that. But otherwise, it's pretty cool. I do need to work on my speed-chopping.
Anyway...come try it out! Grand opening day is January 25th and I promise not to spit in your sanndwich.
The other thing I've been able to practice whilst working is walking around and yelling pertinent information about my location and/or what I'm carrying around. Example: "KNIFE! KNIFE COMING THROUGH!!" Or: "BEHIND YOU!! HOT SOUP BEHIND YOU!" I'm really not good at this and will need to improve my yelling skills. I will be spending a lot of time carrying and using knives. For anyone who knows my...er...klutziness, yes, I am a wee bit concerned. But I have been super careful so far.
And today, I learned how to julienne!! WOO-WOO. I've really always wanted to know how to do that. For starters, you need a really large and very sharp knife. I don't own a knife that falls under both of those categories, so I'll need to work on that. But otherwise, it's pretty cool. I do need to work on my speed-chopping.
Anyway...come try it out! Grand opening day is January 25th and I promise not to spit in your sanndwich.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Hoping to learn signs for swear words soon
Happy 2010! I decided, a while ago, to start this year a lot differently than I have for the past several years. Remember when I quit my job and decided to go back to school? Well, that means that January 2010 has been a lot different than the previous 7 Januarys in my life.
For one, I actually celebrated a Christmas ("Winter") break this year. Wow, that felt pretty awesome. I literally spent a week sleeping, playing with my Wii and eating. I am so used to celebrating Christmas and then going directly back to work that this vacation deal was pretty sweet and a little odd. I honestly kept looking over my shoulder, feeling like I was doing something wrong and someone was going to come and punish me for it. I mean, is it really okay for a 27-year-old to spend hours trying to beat a song on Guitar Hero? YES IT IS. Once I learned to embrace this feeling, I really enjoyed the vacation. I even managed to score myself a new job. So my break was actually fairly stress-free.
And my little vacation was long enough that I was ready to go back to school when classes started as well. This week was the first week of class and I feel smarter already. That's because I literally know more today than I did last Saturday. I now know the signs for about 100 words. And I didn't know them before! Not to mention, this entire week, I've kind of felt like I was dusting off my brain and getting back into gear.
I am really enjoying classes during the day too. For me, it's a really positive type of energy. I focus a lot more and enjoy the class work than I do when taking classes at night, after a long day of working. So far, the class time is passing a lot faster than it has in semesters past. This upcoming week, I actually start working regularly and I am looking forward to that too.
Seems like it's all coming together, huh?? Yeah, I sure hope so. Unfortunately, like any good story, this too has a dilemma...BANKS AND MONEY. Now, I'm not just talking about the current banking dilemma in the United States. Although, let me just say that I am not in favor of all of those bankers getting huge bonuses when Joe Smith can't even afford to go buy himself a new pair of shoes. But, that's not the issue that I am currently engaging. No, no, no. My personal dilemma is more along the line of student loans.
Let me interject here to say: I am quick to temper when dealing with customer service problems. Having been employed in the industry of serving customers for a long time, I know it from both ends. So I REALLY TRY not to be "That Customer" (you know, the real wench who yells at you and then figures out that the whole problem was her fault to begin with...).
That's why I'm wanting to have a working knowledge of Swears in Sign Language. Yes, I've learned some really helpful phrases this past week ("What's your name?", "Nice to meet you!"). But, the Swears would be specifically helpful when I'm on the phone with my bank, trying to unravel the mystery of "Where is my MONEY???" That way, when I am undoubtedly faced with losing my temper, I can just sign a few Swears and the banker on the other end will be none-the-wiser. Right? Right? Because, if I were to call my banker right now, it would be a miracle if their phone didn't dissolve in their hand because of all the venom I might (ha, ha...might? Change that: WILL) spew. Fortunately for the bankers, their customer service line is closed on Saturdays.
Maybe, when I call on Monday and I've had a little time to cool off, I'll just sign "What's your name?" over and over again, FURIOUSLY. Maybe that will provide the same relief. Or maybe I'll Rant/Blog about it and feel a little better. Havng just re-read this blog, I can see that it definitely falls into the category of "Rant", but I do feel a bit better.
Yes, this too shall pass. That little phrase has become my mantra the last coupe of days. Really looking forward to blogging (seriously, blogging - not ranting) here in a few days to say that it was all a crazy mix-up and all's well that ends well!! Fingers crossed, fingers crossed. It would be really, really nice if this would get all wrapped up and I could just enjoy my Brand New Life!!
For one, I actually celebrated a Christmas ("Winter") break this year. Wow, that felt pretty awesome. I literally spent a week sleeping, playing with my Wii and eating. I am so used to celebrating Christmas and then going directly back to work that this vacation deal was pretty sweet and a little odd. I honestly kept looking over my shoulder, feeling like I was doing something wrong and someone was going to come and punish me for it. I mean, is it really okay for a 27-year-old to spend hours trying to beat a song on Guitar Hero? YES IT IS. Once I learned to embrace this feeling, I really enjoyed the vacation. I even managed to score myself a new job. So my break was actually fairly stress-free.
And my little vacation was long enough that I was ready to go back to school when classes started as well. This week was the first week of class and I feel smarter already. That's because I literally know more today than I did last Saturday. I now know the signs for about 100 words. And I didn't know them before! Not to mention, this entire week, I've kind of felt like I was dusting off my brain and getting back into gear.
I am really enjoying classes during the day too. For me, it's a really positive type of energy. I focus a lot more and enjoy the class work than I do when taking classes at night, after a long day of working. So far, the class time is passing a lot faster than it has in semesters past. This upcoming week, I actually start working regularly and I am looking forward to that too.
Seems like it's all coming together, huh?? Yeah, I sure hope so. Unfortunately, like any good story, this too has a dilemma...BANKS AND MONEY. Now, I'm not just talking about the current banking dilemma in the United States. Although, let me just say that I am not in favor of all of those bankers getting huge bonuses when Joe Smith can't even afford to go buy himself a new pair of shoes. But, that's not the issue that I am currently engaging. No, no, no. My personal dilemma is more along the line of student loans.
Let me interject here to say: I am quick to temper when dealing with customer service problems. Having been employed in the industry of serving customers for a long time, I know it from both ends. So I REALLY TRY not to be "That Customer" (you know, the real wench who yells at you and then figures out that the whole problem was her fault to begin with...).
That's why I'm wanting to have a working knowledge of Swears in Sign Language. Yes, I've learned some really helpful phrases this past week ("What's your name?", "Nice to meet you!"). But, the Swears would be specifically helpful when I'm on the phone with my bank, trying to unravel the mystery of "Where is my MONEY???" That way, when I am undoubtedly faced with losing my temper, I can just sign a few Swears and the banker on the other end will be none-the-wiser. Right? Right? Because, if I were to call my banker right now, it would be a miracle if their phone didn't dissolve in their hand because of all the venom I might (ha, ha...might? Change that: WILL) spew. Fortunately for the bankers, their customer service line is closed on Saturdays.
Maybe, when I call on Monday and I've had a little time to cool off, I'll just sign "What's your name?" over and over again, FURIOUSLY. Maybe that will provide the same relief. Or maybe I'll Rant/Blog about it and feel a little better. Havng just re-read this blog, I can see that it definitely falls into the category of "Rant", but I do feel a bit better.
Yes, this too shall pass. That little phrase has become my mantra the last coupe of days. Really looking forward to blogging (seriously, blogging - not ranting) here in a few days to say that it was all a crazy mix-up and all's well that ends well!! Fingers crossed, fingers crossed. It would be really, really nice if this would get all wrapped up and I could just enjoy my Brand New Life!!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Oh wow
So, it's been on my 'To Do' list for a while...a visit to the college academic advisor. The last time I went (about a year ago) was the first time I'd ever been. I received surprising news that, though I wasn't done yet, I was sure a lot closer than I thought I was! Today, I visited the advisor again. I received the SAME TYPE OF NEWS. So, no, I'm not done with SLCC yet...but I am a LOT closer than I thought I was. Today, my response was both happy and annoyed. Happy because I am just 2 classes away from an A.S 2-year degree (yeah - I know, I'm very excited...). Annoyed at myself because of POOR PLANNING. I have 2 classes left??? That doesn't equal a full-time college semester. That barely equals a half-time college semester!! Decisions, decisions...
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