5 Classes I Wish Had Been Available

Classes started this week for colleges across the country. While I miss college a lot less than I did last year, I've been thinking of classes that I wish were available to take. I keep reading articles about how college is meant to expand your mind and not to get you a job and they are making me angry. Obviously college is meant to expand your mind, but there is no reason that it can't also prepare you to use your mind in a practical way that will land you a job.

So, a list of classes I wish had existed:

  1. Essay Writing in 140 characters or less. Employers need effective social media people. Even Obama's Re-Election Campaign is looking.
  2. How to Swallow...your Pride. In college it is encouraged to challenge authority and stand up for what you believe in. In the work place it is a little less so. Telling a professor he is wrong and explaining why you think so gets you some respect; telling a boss he's wrong likely gets you fired.
  3. Time Management. In college we would procrastinate for 2 weeks, then pop an adderol or drink 3 Monsters and write your 25 page paper in a night. Not an option at most jobs. You need to manage your time effectively so you can leave sooner.
  4. Stupid People 101. Unfortunately once you have a job where you deal with people you will understand this. You can't just tell people to Shut the F*** Up when they are being stupid. That's how you lose clients. You need to learn to manage the stupid people so that it has the least effect on the business.
  5. List Making. Personally, I'm already an expert at lists, but there are so many people who would benefit from them. It helps both your organization and you evaluation. If your supervisor wants to know what you did today, all you have to do is show them what is crossed off of that list. No stumbling for words so they know you were on FaceBook.
Those are my top five. Are there any other classes that you wish had been available in college?

Calling Out Sick

This is a touchy subject in most offices. On one hand, employers don't want their employees coming in sick and infecting an entire office. On the other hand, it seems like there is unspoken judgement whenever someone calls out. Are they really sick, or do they just have a mild headache that an ibuprofen would cure? Here are a few ways to ensure that you don't get any raised eyebrows around your office. Feel free to leave your other ideas with the comments!

1. If you know you'll want a day off, just schedule it. Don't fake sick to extend your weekend. Most of us are not amazing actors, and after your third "cough, cough.. I'm sick.." phone call on a Friday morning, your employers are going to know.

2. If you are actually sick, make sure to call the appropriate people. Call your supervisor, office manager, whoever schedules payroll at your office, and let them now. Briefly explain why you aren't feeling well (no need to include a puking count or description here..) and say that you'll be sorry to miss work.

3. Catch up on work upon your return in a timely fashion.

4. Don't take "mental health days" unless they really are for your mental health. Example 1: a close relative or friend passes away or you actually need to see a psychologist for an emotional issue = mental health day.  Example 2: You and your boyfriend are taking a break for the fifth time, you need a new manicure, and you want to catch up on laundry = not mental health day worthy.

This isn't to say that you're never allowed to take a day off for "me time", just schedule it in advance so everyone can prepare for your absence!

5 Things to Do During Irene

As I am looking out my living room window at the wind and rain, I figured it might be helpful to share some ideas on things we can do to wait it out. Only some of these still apply if the power goes out. I would also like to add that drinking is implied with all of the below, which is why it doesn't have its own number.

  1. Start the project you've been putting off. Whether it's the short story you've been trying to get on paper or the painting you just haven't had the chance to begin yet, now is the time.
  2. Read. It's relaxing. And Game of Thrones is calling.
  3. Catch up on the news. The real news. Not all of this hurricane hysteria. Do you know what the status is in Libya? I didn't think so.
  4. The always fun TV show catch up. There's some True Blood that you need to watch and Weeds has gotten pretty good too.
  5. Sleep. This is what I plan on doing when the electric finally goes out. My body is craving it. And there are few other things to do with no electric unless you happen to have a special friend over already.
Good luck readers! Hope everyone stays safe and dry.

Most Ridiculous Pickup Lines

Men have interesting ways of trying to get in my pants. Personally I find pick up lines to be more hilarious than effective, but they still keep trying. I guess pick up lines are just part of dating as a Post Grad. Single men our age, especially after they have a few drinks in them, think they might actually work.

Well Post Grad males, they don't. I promise. Not once have I ever slept with someone who used a pickup line on me. I did laugh though. And I'd like to share just a few of the the funniest.

"My d*** is so jealous of my mouth right now. I think you should make things even."

"Let's role play True Blood. You be Sookie and we can f*** fangbanger style."

"I'll give you $50 if I can squeeze your a**. $100 if I can see it."

Those are my top three. Have any of you ever used or received a ridiculous pick up line?

Obligatory Earthquake Story

I feel like I need a post about the earthquake yesterday, mostly because it rocked my life in so many ways. It was my very first physical earthquake. I never want to experience one again. Maybe it was because I was not prepared for it in any way, maybe because they are scary, who knows really? I did decide that I think earthquakes are the scariest natural phenomenon. The ground moves. You can can't hide from that. No shelter can be found when the ground itself is moving.

My first thought though when it struck was that the shaking was caused simply by construction. Then it got stronger and things started coming off the shelves. My first instinct was to run, but to run where? I was wide eyed and horrified.

I am sure people near the epicenter were more in danger than I was, but it was still very traumatic. I decided that the next place I live can't be on a fault line, that's how traumatic.

I want to share one of the emails we got from a client immediately following the incident that made me laugh:

"I grabbed the backup device. It is in my hands. Now what?"

Kudos to you for grabbing the backup, many people I know thought of that only after they ran outside, but we really don't control what happens next.


Juice Cleanse Anyone?

Lately, I've been feeling pretty run down and sitting at my work desk all day definitely isn't helping. I've been trying to eat healthier, but I just feel like I need some sort of extra boost. So, I made my own cleansing green juice with a blender, based on the recipe I found on Youtube here. I love kale, so this recipe seemed like a great choice for my first green juice.




Ingredients: Kale, Cucumber, Agave Nectar, Lemon Juice
Tools: Blender, Strainer
My Reaction: Thanks to the agave nectar and lemon juice, this drink actually has a sweet taste to it, which I was not expecting at all. I really am enjoying making these a few times a week and would suggest this to anyone looking for a light green juice. The only downside is the messy cleanup and the fact that the drink smells a little bit like grass.

Chincoteague


This weekend we made the trip to Chincoteague Island to visit a friend from college who works there. Seeing the city melt away behind us was the best feeling in the world. I am going to apologize up front because I forgot to take pictures of all the pretty things, I was having too much fun for that.

Saturday night I looked up and saw a sky full of stars. In DC the sky is always an eerie orange color at night and stars are nowhere to be found. They were really pretty and I appreciated being in the middle of nowhere for a little while.

Chincateague is known for its ponies, but what a lot of people don't know is that there is a wildlife refuge there as well as several Navy and NASA programs. The friend we went to visit has clearance to go to the NASA beach. No joke. She showed a badge, filled out a form, and we got our own private beach for the day. Well, we had to share them with the ghost crabs and horseshoe crab moltings, but that was better than the hordes of people the other beach had. It reminded me of Dan Brown's "Deception Point" actually because of the proximity to the ocean and all the gear that was there for NASA. I also learned that the station we were next to is meant to protect DC from missiles fired from the ocean. I never would've guessed that we are being protected by some guns 3.5 hours away.

I was really impressed by nature friend's knowledge of the random stuff we were finding on the beach. In my head I know it's her job to know these things, but she is only person I know who can tell you exactly what kind of shell you just picked up. She is also fearless and had a stand down with a giant ghost crab. Most of the ones we saw were babies you could barely see (pictured above) because of their camouflage. This one was huge and did not run away from us.

And now I have to re-enter the real world which makes my soul want to leap from my body and go back to Chincoteague.

4,3,2,1

This past weekend was a busy one for me. I saw the band Guster in concert Saturday night with a few friends and went to a Rennaissance fair all day on Sunday with Gabe. Both of these things were definitely fun on their own, but I'm beginning to realize that busy busy weekends just aren't as enjoyable as they used to be for me.

Part of the reason why I felt a little burnt out this weekend is because I didn't allow myself any "fun re cooperation time" between events. I know this probably makes me sound very lame, but I love having time to relax and reflect in between my fun plans. This weekend I spent all day Saturday doing chores, went right to the concert, didn't get home from the concert until after midnight, and woke up at 7:30 Sunday to get ready for the ren fair, leaving me an over tired crumpled mess on Sunday night, with a full week of work to look forward to.

Everyone is different this way, I have friends that can party all weekend long, wake up, go to work, and do it all again the next weekend. I really think it's all about finding out the schedule that works best for you, and sticking to it.


What about you all? Would you rather have one awesomely fun event per weekend, or would you prefer to have every minute filled with fun plans?

Whose Job is It?

Last week a co-worker of mine was fired. He did not take it very well and decided to create a scene. While everyone else was watching the commotion, all I could think was "great now I get to do more work."

In a company, what is the right way to deal with a sudden and unexpected loss of part of the team? Whose job is it to cover the workload that is dropped? And don't say everyone should chip in, because not everyone has the skill set to do so. And in my case all the responsibility has fallen to me. Not to mention all the work to find someone to replace the departed co-worker.

So, post grads, this is why I have been out of commission lately. Work has become insanely stressful. More so than usual. Have any of you ever been in the position to fill the gap at work? Did you know what you were doing? And more importantly, did your actual job fall to the wayside while trying to do the 2nd one?

I cannot wait until this weekend when I get to visit a dear friend for her birthday far far away from work. Sigh.

Save or Splurge

As a recent grad, your probably are pinching pennies wherever you can, I know I am! Lately, I've been realizing that buying cheap is not always best thing to do in all situations. Here's a list of a few things that I find are worth splurging on and a few that aren't.

Splurge

Healthy Food: It sucks that organic and healthier food choices are priced so much higher than mac&cheese and sugary cereal, but healthy food is something I would recommend spending the money for, at least in moderation. Your body needs good food to fuel you throughout the work day.

Car Maintenance: Get your oil changed, tires rotated, and brakes inspected regularly. Putting off simple car maintenance because of cost can lead to worse (more expensive) problems down the road for your vehicle. You can often find coupons for general maintenance on garage websites.

A Good Mattress: One of the key ingredients to every productive day is a good nights sleep. Take it from a girl who slept on an aero-bed (type of air mattress) for a year and a half...until it started deflating.. Invest in a comfortable mattress.

Your Health- Is your tooth killing you? Have you been coughing for two months? See a doctor so your sickness doesn't progress to something much worse. An emergency room visit is going to cost you way more than a a visit to your doctor.

Save

Apartment Furniture/ Decor- I love browsing design blogs and daydreaming about my perfect post grad apartment as much as the next girl, but furniture is expensive. Thrift stores, craigslist, garage sale pieces, and furniture warehouse sales are an excellent way to avoid spending your paychecks on new overpriced pieces.


Clothing- I hope I don't offend any fashionistas out there, but I really don't believe that clothing is an investment. It's awesome to have nice clothes that you can wear multiple times in many different ways. Spending a little more money on a black dress you will wear a few times every week is definitely worth it. That being said, dropping 1,000 dollars or more on "the perfect purse" at this point in our lives should probably never be factored into your monthly expenses (unless you've saved up the money or have the means to do so).


Alcohol/ Dining Out- You may have wised up to this one in college, but drinking can be expensive. The same goes for eating out. A 6 dollar cocktail here and 15 dollar dinner there might seem like nothing, but they add up fast. Setting a monthly budget for these types of expenses is a good way to stay on track.


Cable- Cable prices are outrageous and with most networks providing their shows online, they are quickly becoming unnecessary. Hulu, Netflix (their nasty little rate hike is still cheaper than cable), and Itunes are a great options for watching the shows you love.


I'm thinking Save or Splurge might be an interested piece to do weekly. What do you all consider worthwhile investments at this point in your post grad career?

People These Days

It's been a very trying couple of days, several have which have had police involvement.

This morning I went out to my car to go to a friend's going away brunch. I got in the drivers side, started the car, and noticed that my passengers side window was down. It's been raining for 2 days and I rarely put that window down anyway so I was confused to say the least. Then I looked around the rest of my car. The glove box was open, the compartment in the middle of my seats was open and my work laptop was gone. My car had been broken into.

It is strange really. My car is not one I would ever think to break in to. No matter how much I love it, it's a piece of crap. And there is never anything worth stealing in it, nothing that I own anyway. Yet this is the 2nd time in 6 months someone has tried.

I used to never lock my car. I still rarely lock it, but know better in certain places. Columbia Heights, DC being one of them. That is where I was last night when it was broken into. The perpetrator forced my passenger side window down and went through everything. Last time nothing was taken, this time I am grateful that what was taken wasn't technically mine.

On my drive to the brunch all I could think was "how is this person even going to benefit from stealing the laptop?" It is password protected with all the best security on it because of the nature of my job. The only way anyone could make money off of this crime would be to sell its parts. That seems like a lot of work to me.

I hope that this next week is less eventful. Or at the very least eventful in a different way.

Procrastination

You thought it ended after graduation didn't you? Turns out it doesn't. I used to bake as a procrastination method. Below is a list of things I need to do but instead have been watching Dollhouse:

  1. Laundry
  2. Reading David Sedaris
  3. Vacuuming my room
  4. Finding the vacuum
  5. Cleaning the bathroom
  6. Buy toilet paper (don't worry, I'm not completely out yet)
  7. Making lunches for work
  8. Throwing out useless items like a welcome letter from the George Washington University Hospital. (I'm not sure what they are welcoming me to, I don't work/study/go there.)
  9. Cleaning my car, inside and out. There's sap on the windshield and I'm afraid of the backseat. I found Apples to Apples in the trunk though!
Is there anything you are currently procrastinating?

Is The World Ending?

Unfortunately I have stopped reading newspapers as often as I should. When faced with the decision to check my Facebook before bed or read a headline, I always tend to choose the Book. Last night I opened the New York Times on my computer just to make sure I wasn't living under a rock this week and the headlines scared me out of my mind.

"Dow Drops 800 Points"

"Riots Break Out in London for 3rd Night in a Row"

"Wave of Worry Threatens to Build on Itself"

"Tumult in Global Markets"

These are not headlines I was expecting to see. They are headlines of a world that is about to end. Half look like they are from the Great Depression, and I thought we had already accepted that the economy sucked. Half are telling me that civilized cities are being burnt to the ground. Maybe I've been reading too much dystopian literature lately, but all these things point to the end in my head.

While it is important to know what is happening in the world around you, I have realized why I decided on Facebook and The Frisky instead. I have enough stress in my life, I want to read about pointless happy things when I get home. Which also reminds me of the Gilmore Girls episode where Lorelei expresses her desire for a newspaper that reports happy things like puppies being born and new ice cream flavors being discovered. She was on to something.

Day Trips: Annapolis

I have been getting something like cabin fever again in DC. After being here a while I just really need to get out. And it's not for lack of fun things to do, DC has so many I don't think I could ever do them all. It's a change of scenery kind of thing. After driving down the same roads to go to the same job and eating at the same places you just need to spice it up.

So this weekend a friend and I took a day trip to Annapolis. It is where the Naval Academy is located, as well as some very pretty places to walk around and eat by the docks. We also found a place called the "Red Red Wine Bar." They didn't serve enough food to eat lunch there but it is now on my list of places to get drunk. If you haven't noticed, wine is my favorite.

Getting away from where you are all week can be so calming. Just driving farther from the city cleared my head. And being with Wifey with Brit Brit blasting helped too. And, in 2 weeks, we will be all the way in Chincoteague. There will be pictures for that one.

Dancing

If you are feeling sad that it's Monday tomorrow.... watch this. I promise it will put a smile on your face.


Patching Things Up

Today while doing my Sunday grocery shopping, I found myself in the health food section of Wegmans. Wegmans is the most amazing grocery store out there for all of our non- Western, NY readers. I started looking at the different kinds of aromatherapy oils and lotions they offered, then I saw these nifty little aromatherapy patches for only two dollars.

I took a de-stress patch home with me and I have it on as I type right now. I have to say, it's definitely has worked a little bit. Do I feel like all of my life stresses have been solved? Definitely not. However, I do find the scent to be very calming and I'm in a better frame of mind than I usually am on Sunday evenings.


Here's the website for the brand I use. I definitely recommend checking them out. I'm thinking about trying out their "focus" patch next.

Wrong Side of the Bed

When I was a kid and being grumpy my mother would always ask me sarcastically if I had "woken up on the wrong side of the bed." I never really understood what she meant. I just grunted at her.

This morning I woke up in a bad mood. And this phrase is the first thing I could think of. There is no real reason I should be in a bad mood. I cannot remember having an anger inducing dream, that would explain it. I hope my mood improves as the day goes on, but until then I feel like the fluffball below.