My Thoughts on Queen Anne Boleyn

I've been watching The Tudors on Netflix. Most of these thoughts are based on the character in the show, not necessarily based in historical fact. Although, I must say she was a very interesting person and I think she and I would have been frenemies had we lived in the same time period.

1. She was the original duck face. Snookie had no idea she was channeling Anne Boleyn when she started
2. Her guttural cries when her brother was beheaded brought me to tears. Maybe she did have a heart after all.
3. She was a better Queen than Henry was King. This is the real reason she was beheaded. Henry didn't like competition. Anne was a bitch, in a good way. She got things done.
4. Girl knew how to F%@#.

Please be aware that I have only just finished season 2 and have no concrete opinions on most of the subsequent queens quite yet. However, I don't think any will be as awesome as Queen Anne Boleyn.

How Did You Get This Number

"How Did You Get This Number" By Sloane Crosley

I love Sloane Crosley. Her stories mimic my own life. Her books are collections of personal essays so my attention deprived self can get through them. And she also makes me miss New York like I never thought I would.

There are 3 reasons this book resonated so much with me.

The first is that Sloane told stories about being abroad, both alone and with friends. Last year I went to Turkey for a week by myself, and everyone told me I was crazy. My mother thought I was going to be kidnapped and raped. My friends were supportive but incredulous, often saying things like "You're my hero, I could never do that." And my roommates mother was convinced that it meant I was a terrorist.

Now, Sloane did not go to Turkey, she went to France, so maybe it is a little different, but I liked hearing about the faux pas she had and that travel is most entertaining when looking back on it.

The second is that Sloane devotes an entire chapter/essay to describing how out of place she feels when in the middle of nowhere Alaska. I, too, am a city girl through and through. Transplant a city girl into the Alaskan wilderness and there is no chance you won't have a good story.

The third and final reason this book will be a favorite forever, is that the last chapter almost perfectly explained how I felt during my last romantic ending. I know that sounds very mushy and hormone driven, but for some reason it makes me feel better to know someone else has experienced what I did. And had pretty much the same reactions.

Rating: 4.2/5 stars

Post Grads Love: Board Games

I think we have established that after graduation our energy levels and spending money both decrease drastically. What's a Post Grad to do?

There is really only one solution: reverting back to the activities you resented as a child.

When my mother would suggest playing a board game there was a collective groan let out by my sisters and me. over an hour having to converse with the family with nothing but a board and some cards between you? No thank you.

When my grandmother would suggest working on a puzzle, that same collective groan would escape our mouths. Spending time trying to make useless pieces fit together over and over even though you have already proven to yourself they don't fit? Yeah, awesome time.

I think the only thing missing was alcohol. That's why parents enjoyed board games and puzzles, they had wine and beer and vodka as they played!

So now, as Post Grads of legal drinking age, we can add the fun part to board games and have an inexpensive night in with friends. Of my favorites:

- Catch Phrase. You need at least 6 people but it is always a good time. Inside jokes encouraged.

- Monopoly. Classic. Betting is often involved in our games, and several references to the "official rules."

- Puzzles. Somehow the more you drink the more sense it makes. Until the next morning when you realize about 1/3 of the pieces actually fit together.

Now go Post Grads! Pop open the bottle of wine and have a cheap night in with your friends. Low key and inexpensive, exactly how we like it.

Top 5 TV Show Characters I Can Relate To

When I watch TV I have a habit of inserting myself into the show. There is always a character that I either see myself as or can relate to, or looks alarmingly like me. I know this is how the writers want it to be, they need to draw people in by making the characters easy to relate to. However, there have been entire seasons of shows that have mirrored my life, or at least in my head they did.

So, below are the top 5 characters that I relate to.

1. Jessica from True Blood. This is only because she is my celebrity doppelganger. So much so that my ex was drunkenly convinced that I was a vampire.
2. Robin from How I Met Your Mother. One of my exes was a Barney and we happened to have been seeing each other the same season Robin and Barney were together. I also would love to be a news anchor and don't want kids.
3. A mixture of Bree and Lynette from Desperate Housewives. I'm secretly a soccer mom, even though I'd rather be the powerful career woman like Lynette, but I'm also a wine-o control freak like Bree.
4. Carrie from Sex and the City. I have had my own Mr. Big and being a sex columnist is my dream job. Although I am not even close to making her style mistakes.
5. Deb from Dexter. Curses too much, works too much, often runs from commitment. We are like soul mates.

I felt like the end of the year deserved some lists of Top things and this is what I came up with so far. What characters resonate with you guys most?

Maple Spice Cookies

When I am stressed I bake. And for this Post Grad, it has been an extremely stressful week, month and year. I actually feel like the Friends theme song is my anthem: my job's a joke, I'm broke and my love life is D.O.A. SO to remedy the situation I took a trip to the baking aisle of Safeway to get some supplies.

Today I decided to make a delectable fall treat: Maple Spice Cookies. Sweet but not too sweet with a touch of spice, all wrapped up in a golden brown cookie.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

1/3 Cup Butter

1 Egg

1 Egg white

3/4 Teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 Teaspoons maple extract

1 Teaspoon vanilla Extract

1 Cup Brown Sugar

A few dashes each of All Spice, Cloves and Cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 325

2. Combine the sugar and butter (softened) until mixed thoroughly

3. Add the eggs and extracts. Beat until well blended.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and spices.

5. Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture while stirring. It is ready when it forms a dough.

6. Put balls of dough on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until done.

I also like toppings on cookies, so half of these got Maple Syrup drizzled on top and the other half got a thin layer of frosting. Both turned out to be the perfect fall cookie and made my stress levels temporarily decrease. I am sure the sugar also helped.

Room

Room by Emma Donaghue

This book stunned me in so many ways. The concept itself was difficult to wrap my head around. It also made me realize that people's coping mechanisms are astounding. The human brain can do such great things when it has to. The entire book is written from the perspective of a 5 year old, but it's his mother that intrigued me most. Imagine having to create a life for yourself and a child in a Room.

Would you think to use egg shells as mosaic tiles so that your child can do art projects? Or use toilet paper rolls to make a castle that beads can play in? Would you be able to come up with reasons to tell your 5 year old why the people in the television can be in grass and outside and he can't?

I don't think I have completely processed this book yet, I am still in shock. I would highly recommend reading it, but only if you are mentally prepared. I was close to tears several times. I was also laughing, though, because a lot of normal things when described by a 5 year old are hilarious.

Rating 4.75/5 stars

Drive to Work Playlist

It's very hard for me to be happy on the drive to work. It took me from my nice, comfy bed and will provide a headache for the next 9-10 hours, why would I be happy? Unfortunately I have to talk to clients at work so being unhappy is not an option. The only solution I have found is listening to great music on my commute.

1. Kane Show on 99.5 FM. I know this isn't a song, per se, but the morning show is really funny.
2. Ida Maria "Bad Karma" It is so upbeat but has a message I can relate to while driving into work.
3. Kanye West. Just about anything by Kanye. Top 2 right now are "Hell of a Life" and "Power"
4. Citizen Cope "son's Gonna Rise."
5. MGMT "Time to Pretend"

What songs do you listen to to make going to work a little less sad?

Liz Funk Book Tour Stop Today!!

Today is an exciting day! We have author Liz Funk here to answer any questions you might have about her life, the book, or her post grad experiences in general. This is the 1st book she is releasing in a 4 book series. More information can be found on the website.

We have one: Dear Liz, how are you already so succesful at 22??

Also, you can enter to win her e-book Coming of Age in a Crap Economy in the comments.
Here's how to enter (you have up to three chances)

1. Ask Liz a question!2. Tweet about the giveaway and mention CrapEcomony
3. Tweet about Liz's book and mention The Real Post Grad

Liz, if you wouldn't mind, can you begin by telling us all about what gave you the idea to write this book. We have been toying with the idea for almost a year and would love to know the story behind yours.

Coming of Age in a Crap Economy

Coming of Age in a Crap Economy by Liz Funk

Allison: I thought this book was definitely well researched and inspiring. I loved that Liz interviewed post grads with a wide range of backgrounds and ambitions, while mixing in the opinions of other professionals and the history of how our economic situation has come to exist. Instead of speaking down to recent graduates as many articles in popular media today seem to do, this book had an encouraging tone and left me feeling like there is a lot more in my post grad life that I could be accomplishing.

My only criticism of the book is that the sheer amount of interviews (while all extremely interesting) can sometimes be overwhelming to read. As I think back to the book, it's hard for me to pick one interview that stood out because there were so many.

That being said, I still believe the book is an inspiring read and I look forward to the second book in the series!

4/5 stars

Shikole: Coming of Age in a Crap Economy is the book equivalent of an anthem for our generation. Liz mentions that our generation is one of the few that doesn't have a World War to bond over or define us. The economic struggle is our World War. There are very few post grads that are not affected by it. The effect of the economy on our lifestyles, outlooks and success is universal.

One of the things I liked best about this book is references Liz made to so many aspects of pop culture. Pop culture IS generation Y. How do we deal with losing our jobs? We watch television shows like Dexter to try and remember that other people's lives might be worse. Our struggles are even being used in pop culture as a theme. There was a movie released in 2009 aptly titled "Post Grad" that almost every one of us can relate to. I still haven't decided if seeing post grad struggles on screen makes me feel better or worse about it.

I agree with Allison that the amount of interviews gets overwhelming. I would have loved to have seen a case study or two instead that delved deeper into a post grad story. Obviously other interviews would have been needed to prove some points, but the only interview I can remember after reading is Caitlin's. And I only remember hers because we share an alma mater.

I think the best thing you can take from this book is that we, as a generation and as individuals, need to re-work the equation we thought equalled success. Behind the struggle, the failure, the rejection and even the optimism, is the bottom line: Post Grads in today's economy have to do it differently.

Rating: 3.8/5

We will be giving away a copy of Liz's book "Coming of Age in a Crap Economy" on Friday so be sure to come back to enter!

Deception Point

Deception Point by Dan Brown

Dan Brown has an amazing way of making something boring into something intriguing. Like a meteorite. I mean, they can be cool in the "oh wow this came from outer space" kind of way. However, when you start getting into the actual science of it, you lose my interest.

Unless you are Dan Brown. I have never wanted to know what made a chondrule and chondrule more in my life. Hell, I didn't even know what a chondrule was until now. Nor have I ever cared so much about how an oceanic vortex was created and what kinds of life forms thrived in them.

After reading that last paragraph, would you expect this book to be a murder mystery? I didn't either. I honestly had no idea where the author was going with all this until about a third of the way in. Mystery books have never been high on my list of good reads, but this man knows how to make it interesting.

I must admit I have a small bias because several of his books take place in DC. I happen to live in DC so reading about places that I am familiar with makes me more interested than if I was reading about a dead end road in Oklahoma. Tell me the character is on Leesburg Pike headed towards the FDR memorial and you've got my attention.

Read this book if you like:

Mystery

Science

Conspiracy

Government

Explosions

Rating: 4.2/5 Stars

The Benrik Challenge

Have you ever heard of the Benrik challenge? I hadn't either until about 10 days ago. I follow College Candy on Twitter and they had a great link to an article about it. Apparently there is a book with 365 days worth of random things meant to put you out of your comfort zone and change your life. Sounds corny at first doesn't it?

But think about it, I know I've had at least a moment every day for the past few months where I feel like I'm not doing anything with my life. The feeling that something has to change or I'm going to go insane. You all can't tell me you haven't had these thoughts since graduating.

Enter: The Benrik Challenge. I bought the book from half.com the day I read that article. It just came in and I am browsing through all the things I may be doing soon. Challenges include things like: discretely flip off strangers all day, spend no money day, pretend to be a tourist day, dress in a power suit and go to lunch alone at a fancy restaurant - introduce yourself to diners as the owner. All of these sound really entertaining to complete.

Allison bought the book as well and we are going to do the challenge together. We haven't decided entirely how we are going to fashion it yet, though. 365 days is a long time and we want to shorten it a bit. We were thinking of having to complete 75 of the tasks by October 1st. What do you think?

GoodReads

If you haven't noticed by now, I quite like reading. I do it often. And the books seem to go by quickly. Unlike movies, tv shows and music, though, finding a new good book to read is not as mainstream. There is no commercial that pops up on Hulu telling you about a good book. The radio does not bring authors onto the show to discuss a new book. It is sad, but our society is not book-centric.

But alas! I have found Goodreads. Good reads is like a cross between facebook and an online book club, and it is amazing. I will admit that it is most enjoyable, and helpful, when your friends are using it too. You can see what books your friends are reading, what they plan to rad, what they thought of books they have finished and so much more. There are also groups and forums to join so that you can discuss your favorite reads with other people as well as your friends.

This month's GoodReads Book Challenge is to read "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jenifer Egan. Sadly I have not joined this challenge yet, but that is only because of the unfortunate condition of my bank account. Every month there is a different challenge and GoodReads offers polls, discussion and a live chat with the author upon completion.

There are a lot more features to this site that I have not mastered yet, but I encourage you all to check it out. And if you do, friend me so we can share our Good Reads!

Uglies

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Imagine being sent to boarding school when you are twelve. Now imagine the city brainwashing you into thinking you are ugly the entire four years you spend there. And instead of getting a sweet 16 party when you turn that magical age, you get an operation to MAKE you the cities idea of pretty.

Welcome to Tally Youngblood's life. Except she is 3 months away from being 16 and already brainwashed. She is looking forward to the doctors grinding her bones to the right size and shape and giving her new skin and making her face completely symmetric. She actually plays around on the screen wall in her dorm room to see all the ways she could be made to look.

Now imagine that one of these kids realized they were being brainwashed and did not want an operation. Instead they ran away. But running away isn't as simple as hopping a bus to the next town. No, cities in this time have magnetic fields through them that carry the hoverboards and hovercars, and there is a magnetic field surrounding it alerting the authorities when anyone tries to leave.

This is just the premise of the first book in a series of 4. I am currently reading the very last book of the series and don't want to give too much away, that would be bogus. I would like to mention that the language used in these books is entirely catching. I have begun to use phrases like "nervous making" in everyday life thanks to them. A future post about a different part of the series will go over that with you all.

For now I will leave you with the fact that I am grateful to not be brainwashed or operated on. And able to leave this damn city whenever I please.

Rating 3.2/5 stars

Wither

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

I am noticing a trend lately with the books I read. This one also takes place in a post-apocalyptic USA, just like the last. Scientists found a way to make humans live long and healthy lives after curing cancer, but, oops, it only lasted for 1 generation. Now females die at age 20 and males at 25.

Think about that. We (or half of us I guess) would be dead right now. Our life span would end before we could finish college. Quarter life crisis would happen at 5. Oh and most of us would be orphans by the age of 5 as well.

This is the world that Rhine lives in. And it has created a new black market, for young brides. The wealthy males want heirs before their premature deaths, and who better to birth them than orphans and other young girls who have nothing else going for them?

This first book in the Chemical Garden series, however, is not all dark and morbid. There are scientists looking for a cure, and not all of the wealthy males are so sinister. It's just that Rhine doesn't take well to captivity.

If you like scientific fantasy in the way of post apocalyptic scenarios like I do then this book is definitely for you. And there are two more in the series that haven't even been released yet.

Rating 3.75/5 stars

Post Grad Flashback: One Tree Hill

I've been pet sitting this past week and had the privilege of accessing a huge television and cable. Mixed in with waking up early to walk the dog, I also rediscovered the teen dramas I used to adore. Apparently Soap Net has something called "Breakfast in Bed" on weekend mornings that broadcasts all the old shows: The O.C., Gilmore Girls, and One Tree Hill.

They were playing the One Tree Hill episodes of the middle seasons, the 5 years later episodes. The gang had already graduated high school and were now in their mid 20s. They were our age. And watching the 3 back to back episodes this morning I realized that they were no where near normal people like the show wanted you to believe.

Lucas had a book published and a movie being made out of it.

Peyton had her own music production business and managed an up an coming star.

Brooke had her own fashion line.

Nathan was playing basketball for the Chiefs.

And Haley had a record out and was helping to manage the up and coming star.

Only Haley and Nathan had attended college.

Oh and Haley and Nathan are married with a 4 year old, Peyton is pregnant with Lucas's baby and they are engaged, and Brooke is trying to adopt. Have I mentioned that these people are OUR AGE?

I used to love this show. The characters, the drama and the adventures they went on were a great escape from my everyday life. And a great reason to get a bunch of girls in the same room with a bottle of wine. But when I watch this show now all I see are unrealistic portrayals of real life. Every character has their dream job, a promising relationship and all the money in the world. And here I am, post grad and single at a job that is far from my dream and in a mountain of student loan debt.

This show that I used to love so much had depressed me before 10am. I have come to the conclusion that the shows i used to love, should stay in the past.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book (series) has everything needed for an enjoyable, thought provoking read. There is a political dynamic, romance, action and even mystery. The series takes place in a country whose foundations were created after an uprising and now resembles somewhat of a dictatorship. But the country is very advanced in its technology, inventions and fashion.

Katniss Everdeen, the main character, is 16 years old and the main provider for her family. Until the unthinkable happens and she is forced to participate in The Hunger Games. The cruel games invented by the Capitol to prevent the country from ever challenging them again. It is a fight to the death between 24 children ages 12-18. Yes, you read that right.

These games are televised for the whole country to watch. It is actually mandatory that they are watched. The country watches as the contestants find food, shelter, and use weapons against each other.

And that only explains a small portion of this book.

Rating 5/5 stars (although it deserves 6)

I Was Told There'd Be Cake

I Was Told There'd be Cake by Sloane Crosley

This book of personal essays is witty and relatable. Well, at least I could relate to it. She has a writing style similar to that of Chelsea Handler but with less swearing. Follow Sloane through her journey of self discovery and read all about her mistakes along the way.

My favorite essays include:

One Night Bounce

The Good People of this Dimension

The Ursula Cookie

Sloane tackles the very difficult topics of volunteer work after high school, bosses that are not ideal, and how a woman's view of men changes since childhood. How can you go wrong with such topics? I mean, when you were 7, what did you think a One Night Stand was? Read the book and you'll get Sloane's rendition.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Chill Out Playlist

Do you ever just hate all the music you have in your itunes? You want something new but have no idea where to find it? Me too. I usually ask friends for recommendations. Today a friend introduced me to 8tracks.com. It has playlists that other people have already created for you to listen to. For free.

While on the topic, though, I decided that I should give you all one of my personal playlists to explore. I've been trying to listen to a lot of chill music lately to calm my nerves and decrease the anger bubbling inside. Have a listen Post Grads and let me know if you have any recommendations for me!

1. Morcheeba "Over and Over"
2. Jack's Mannequin "What Gets You Off"
3. Mike Posner "Please Don't Go"
4. Eric Hutchinson "Rock and Roll"
5. G. Love and Special Sauce "Peace, Love and Happiness"
6. Justin Nozuka "Be Back Soon"
7. Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here"
8. Vampire Weekend "One"
9. The Postal Service "Sleeping In"
10. The Eagles "Peaceful Easy Feeling"
11. Sara Bareilles "King of Anything"
12. Eric Clapton "I've Got a Rock and Roll Heart"
13. Thriving Ivory "Secret Life"
14. Michael Franti "All I Want is You"
15. The Killers "Spaceman"
16. Jack's Mannequin "Holiday From Real"
17. Morcheeba "The Sea"

The Simple Things

Last night I stayed in. I planned on drinking some wine and reading Cosmo to unwind from the week. Instead it ended up being house bonding night with cards and Rockband and drinks. Other than the hangover this morning, it was the best night I've had in a while.

Today I went with a few friends to the National Portrait Gallery. I had never been before and there were some really great exhibits open, like Elvis at 21. I didn't realize he was so sexy. Norman Rockwell also had an exhibit open which was really good. I must say the "Jury" portrait was my favorite.

The point of my little anecdotes is that the simple things in life are important and make you happier than you might think. I've been in a bad mood all week and these two very simple things made me very happy again. You don't need to go out or do something special. Being able to relax and be yourself and enjoy the company of friends is the best feeling in the world. So post grads, go relax!

Layers of Post Grad

By Allison Sass

I saw the movie Inception last night... yes I know, I am behind the times, but I saw it in theaters for $1.00, so I'm gonna say it was worth the wait.  The movie involved the process of having dreams within dreams within dreams, you know the feeling when you think you wake up from a dream but you're really in another one?  I couldn't help but  think about how much this idea parallels post grad life.

Sometimes I think about my post grad life in terms of layers.  Layer 1 is sort of the broad acceptance of the fact that I am no longer a college student/ a semi-real adult.

Layer 2 focuses on my desire to succeed in post grad life, and all that accompanies success: healthy relationships, a career, making use of my college education. I often reach layer 2 when I focus too much on layer 1.

Layer 3 is what I like to think of as my post grad inner child.  In this inner most layer, I become lost in thoughts about what life could be like if only I were a few more years younger, lived closer to home, and had time to rethink the direction of my life.

It's so easy for me to get lost in these layers, consumed by what could be or should be... but then I get a kick. In Inception, the "kick" is that feeling of falling that wakes you up out of a dream, the jolt that brings you back to reality.

In the post grad world, my "kick" is my paycheck, my freedom, or the thrill of finding another article relating to water conservation that I can blog about for my company (don't mock me, this is my life).  These "kicks" bring me out of my post grad layers and back into reality. But, much like dreaming, I know I'll fall back into my layered fantasies sooner or later. Let's just hope these kicks keep on coming!