Wednesday, November 3
All Good Things...
Exciting times are ahead! Now doesn't that sound like an awful fortune cookie? It's true.
Exciting times are now actually because I have a coupon to DSW and I'm craving some boots. I'm so bad! Didn't I mention I have a coupon!?
MY TWO CENTS:
Dear Democrats,
Quit gettin' yo feathers all ruffled because the Republicans have a House majority. You still have the Senate and the President so you're going to be okay.
Dear Republicans,
Don't rub it in the Dem's faces too much. They're sensitive.
I know mid-terms are a big deal, but don't you think we'd realize by now that politics follow a cycle? That's why we call it a "balance of powers." The balance doesn't sit still- it shifts. The Democrats got their turn in '06 which paved the road for Obama to get elected. Now Republicans are taking their turn, and while I can't guarantee anything, don't be too shocked when a Republican gets elected in 2012...just sayin' (but at the gym tonight I saw something on the news about Trump 2012...NO...Donald Trump is not allowed to be my President. That is where I draw the line.)
Everyone take a deep breath. Elections are over, power is changing, but welcome to this horrifically beautiful thing we call a Democracy.
Tuesday, November 2
Gotta Have You
Your daily dose of The Weepies: Gotta Have You
Today's gray skies and rain didn't help my homesickness for London. It was the first cold day and I pride myself on bearing the cold because I loved walking the streets of London in the freezing cold.
Then, to make it worse, I had a call with a lady in London. She happened to mention that there are only 4 people on her team and they have lots of work to do. LET ME GO HELP! Then my coworkers and I launched into London stories. Maybe its just the fact that I get to see my London Ladies (the girls I spent my semester abroad with) on FRIDAY! I cannot wait!
I never thought the day would come that I would read an old textbook for fun. Let me first say that I have started reading the news more (I read guardian.co.uk and thetimes.co.uk because I don't trust the American media haha. I like to see what other countries think about America, and I think the UK does a better job of reporting on the rest of the world).
ANYWAY, reading the news has really sparked my interest in history, because, as we all know, they're interrelated. One of my favorite classes in college (and probably my favorite Political Science class) was International Relations. In this class we had some insanely short amount of time to read The World Since 1945: A History of International Relations. That's a LOT of history to cram into 600 pages of text.
It has always amazed me how much history can actually be squeezed into a single sentence. Take this sentence for example (from the chapter on the Decolonization of Africa), "Three years later the colony, now renamed Ghana, was made self-governing under Nkrumah's leadership, and in March 1957, Nkrumah, now prime minister, was able to announce that Ghana had won its full independence." There is a lot going on there, and a lot had to happen for everything in that sentence to come about. Maybe that's just one of those weird things I think about that leaves everyone thinking, "....O-kay Hayley...that's just great."
I never really finished reading this book. I was drowning in other homework and usually skimmed through the reading (about 100 pages per class if I recall correctly). I remember I completely skipped half the history of Latin America and a good bit of China/Taiwan. This time I'm determined to go through the ENTIRE book no matter how boring it may seem to get because it is ALL relevant today and I think it is important to know!
Here's something to think about:
The book opens with the end of WWII and it raises the question of whether or not the US dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary, justifiable, or even ethical.
"OF COURSE NOT," would be my initial reaction. All those innocent lives...and Japan was struggling to stay afloat in the war despite their stubborn refusal to surrender. I read John Hershey's Hiroshima in high school and it is so sad. In all honesty, atomic weapons (or WMDs in general) are way too over the top and that was an unfair situation Truman walked into and was ill-advised on- but alas, history is history.
The World Since 1945 suggests that if the US hadn't dropped the atomic bomb, the war would've carried on much longer and many lives on both sides would've been lost. That made me think: my grandfather, a medic in the Navy, was stationed in the Pacific from 1943-1946. He hardly ever talks about the war, but he did tell me one time that there were Japanese subs and all around his ship and the crew never knew it. I wonder, if the US didn't drop the atom bomb, would fighting have continued? Would more soldiers really have died? Would my grandfather have survived WWII? Would I be here?
Is it okay to support the US dropping the atom bomb for selfish reasons? At the same time, there is a Japanese 22-year old girl who isn't writing this blog because her grandfather did die in WWII.
Today's gray skies and rain didn't help my homesickness for London. It was the first cold day and I pride myself on bearing the cold because I loved walking the streets of London in the freezing cold.
Then, to make it worse, I had a call with a lady in London. She happened to mention that there are only 4 people on her team and they have lots of work to do. LET ME GO HELP! Then my coworkers and I launched into London stories. Maybe its just the fact that I get to see my London Ladies (the girls I spent my semester abroad with) on FRIDAY! I cannot wait!
I never thought the day would come that I would read an old textbook for fun. Let me first say that I have started reading the news more (I read guardian.co.uk and thetimes.co.uk because I don't trust the American media haha. I like to see what other countries think about America, and I think the UK does a better job of reporting on the rest of the world).
ANYWAY, reading the news has really sparked my interest in history, because, as we all know, they're interrelated. One of my favorite classes in college (and probably my favorite Political Science class) was International Relations. In this class we had some insanely short amount of time to read The World Since 1945: A History of International Relations. That's a LOT of history to cram into 600 pages of text.
It has always amazed me how much history can actually be squeezed into a single sentence. Take this sentence for example (from the chapter on the Decolonization of Africa), "Three years later the colony, now renamed Ghana, was made self-governing under Nkrumah's leadership, and in March 1957, Nkrumah, now prime minister, was able to announce that Ghana had won its full independence." There is a lot going on there, and a lot had to happen for everything in that sentence to come about. Maybe that's just one of those weird things I think about that leaves everyone thinking, "....O-kay Hayley...that's just great."I never really finished reading this book. I was drowning in other homework and usually skimmed through the reading (about 100 pages per class if I recall correctly). I remember I completely skipped half the history of Latin America and a good bit of China/Taiwan. This time I'm determined to go through the ENTIRE book no matter how boring it may seem to get because it is ALL relevant today and I think it is important to know!
Here's something to think about:
The book opens with the end of WWII and it raises the question of whether or not the US dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary, justifiable, or even ethical.
"OF COURSE NOT," would be my initial reaction. All those innocent lives...and Japan was struggling to stay afloat in the war despite their stubborn refusal to surrender. I read John Hershey's Hiroshima in high school and it is so sad. In all honesty, atomic weapons (or WMDs in general) are way too over the top and that was an unfair situation Truman walked into and was ill-advised on- but alas, history is history.
The World Since 1945 suggests that if the US hadn't dropped the atomic bomb, the war would've carried on much longer and many lives on both sides would've been lost. That made me think: my grandfather, a medic in the Navy, was stationed in the Pacific from 1943-1946. He hardly ever talks about the war, but he did tell me one time that there were Japanese subs and all around his ship and the crew never knew it. I wonder, if the US didn't drop the atom bomb, would fighting have continued? Would more soldiers really have died? Would my grandfather have survived WWII? Would I be here?
Is it okay to support the US dropping the atom bomb for selfish reasons? At the same time, there is a Japanese 22-year old girl who isn't writing this blog because her grandfather did die in WWII.
Monday, November 1
19 Days of the Weepies + other things I love
First and foremost: WELCOME TO NOVEMBER! November is fabulous- It was always a sign that the end of the semester was coming (so to those of you in school...it is coming!) I guess in the business world we've entered Q4...(well I think that began in October and it means absolutely nothing at all to me, BUT one day when I become an important executive, I'm sure it will mean something).
In attempt to gear up for the Nov. 19th WEEPIES concert I will share a piece of Weepies-wonderfulness with you! This song "I Was Made for Sunny Days" hooked me on the Weepies. I first heard it on July 6th (because I was introduced to KXT on July 5th). It's such a happy song.
I wonder how Thomas Eddison feels about Anthro selling his invention for $98. I mean...really? Is it the actual lightbulb or just the wiring that costs $98? Oh, but wait, for only $40 more (or 2 monthly payments of $19.99), you can add a variation of wire framing around this lightbulb.
In attempt to gear up for the Nov. 19th WEEPIES concert I will share a piece of Weepies-wonderfulness with you! This song "I Was Made for Sunny Days" hooked me on the Weepies. I first heard it on July 6th (because I was introduced to KXT on July 5th). It's such a happy song.
All happy songs take me back to London- my happy place. One day I'll go back and walk through Regents Park and stop by to see John at La Liason just around the corner from the Gloucester flower shop. Maybe when I retire I'll go buy that flower shop next to the Gloucester tube stop :)
I wonder how Thomas Eddison feels about Anthro selling his invention for $98. I mean...really? Is it the actual lightbulb or just the wiring that costs $98? Oh, but wait, for only $40 more (or 2 monthly payments of $19.99), you can add a variation of wire framing around this lightbulb.
I am very fascinated by light fixtures and lamps (not so much these) but I DO like the Tea Time chandelier and the Eat, Drink, and Be Merry chandelier.
Thursday, October 21
Oh the things I'm looking forward to....
Let's start small:
1. Talking to Hannah on Skype any minute now.
2. Friday (tomorrow). Let me clarify- whatever time it will be when I leave work. I've worked 11.5 hour days the past 2 days.
3. Hanging out with my 11-year old cousin this weekend.
4. Seeing the Rangers win tomorrow's game and go on to the WORLD SERIES!!!! WHOOP WHOOP!
5. ...this event I'm working on to be OVER (next Thursday).
6. ...going to BIRMINGHAM 2 weeks from today and getting to see my London Ladies and celebrate Cait's engagement and see my sister and any other old friends I can possibly squeeze into a weekend.
7. ...there's something the next week but it's a surprise, so I'll let the suspense kill you and maybe I'll blog about it.
8. NOVEMBER 19TH- I have tickets to go see the WEEPIES!!!! *sigh*...can't WAIT
9. December 18th I'm going to Nashville for Caitlin & Preston's wedding and all the London girls will be together for the first time since....well...maybe since we were in London together, but for sure not since Spring 2009.
10. The next big Anthropologie sale :)
1. Talking to Hannah on Skype any minute now.
2. Friday (tomorrow). Let me clarify- whatever time it will be when I leave work. I've worked 11.5 hour days the past 2 days.
3. Hanging out with my 11-year old cousin this weekend.
4. Seeing the Rangers win tomorrow's game and go on to the WORLD SERIES!!!! WHOOP WHOOP!
5. ...this event I'm working on to be OVER (next Thursday).
6. ...going to BIRMINGHAM 2 weeks from today and getting to see my London Ladies and celebrate Cait's engagement and see my sister and any other old friends I can possibly squeeze into a weekend.
7. ...there's something the next week but it's a surprise, so I'll let the suspense kill you and maybe I'll blog about it.
8. NOVEMBER 19TH- I have tickets to go see the WEEPIES!!!! *sigh*...can't WAIT
9. December 18th I'm going to Nashville for Caitlin & Preston's wedding and all the London girls will be together for the first time since....well...maybe since we were in London together, but for sure not since Spring 2009.
10. The next big Anthropologie sale :)
Friday, October 15
I HATE smoke detectors!
I honestly hate them! I understand their life-saving purpose, but they haven't done anything for me except scare me and cause me to lose sleep!
I was probably an overly-fearful child. I was scared of a lot of things- elevators, lightning, fire, death, spontaneous combustion....I couldn't even watch ER because, even as a young child, watching an actor fake a heart attack gave me chest pains. I was such a hypochondriac.
I distinctly remember one of my first encounters with smoke detectors. It was back when my family lived in the house we moved out of when I was 4- so I'm guessing I was 3, which proves just how traumatic this was, because not many people have memories of when they were 3.
It was the time of year for my dad to change the smoke detector batteries. I couldn't BEAR the sound it made when he pushed the little green button to see if it worked. Mom collected us girls like little chicklings on the couch, but I just couldn't handle it- I went outside and stood on the sidewalk so I couldn't hear him test the smoke detector!
Luckily, I have grown up. I can handle elevators, lightning, (some) fire...so far I haven't encountered spontaneous combustion or death- I'm just hoping they won't come at the same time!
Yesterday my smoke alarm starting beeping- it woke me up at 6:30, which is a great thing because I actually forgot to set my (sleeping) alarm! I took out the battery so it would stop annoying me.
The beeping stopped until I got home from work and heard it again, but I didn't hear it the rest of the night. THEN at 3:40 it started again! The beeps were closer together! I got out of bed and stood by the darn thing....no beeps- went back to bed. It not only detects smoke...it also detects REM cycles. Every time I'd drift off it would beep- and this isn't the kind of beep you can just ignore. It sounds like my little dog yelping; it's SO high! OH MISERY!
I thought about going to walmart and buying a battery (I actually went to the grocery store last night JUST to buy this stupid battery, but of course, I forgot and just bought food instead!) Option 2 would have been to call my apartment courtesy officer and see if he had a battery, but i think he might be for emergencies only (even though he's called the 'courtesy officer' and it would've been courteous of him to bring me a battery at 4 am!)
My 3rd option was pulling it off the wall completely. I think these things have minds of their own and I think it would freak out and scream for it's life if I tampered too badly with it- waking the entire neighborhood.
I ended up squeezing in 1 more REM cycle (I had a crazy dream). I CANNOT forget to buy that battery today! Hopefully I won't fall asleep at my desk today!
I was probably an overly-fearful child. I was scared of a lot of things- elevators, lightning, fire, death, spontaneous combustion....I couldn't even watch ER because, even as a young child, watching an actor fake a heart attack gave me chest pains. I was such a hypochondriac.
I distinctly remember one of my first encounters with smoke detectors. It was back when my family lived in the house we moved out of when I was 4- so I'm guessing I was 3, which proves just how traumatic this was, because not many people have memories of when they were 3.
It was the time of year for my dad to change the smoke detector batteries. I couldn't BEAR the sound it made when he pushed the little green button to see if it worked. Mom collected us girls like little chicklings on the couch, but I just couldn't handle it- I went outside and stood on the sidewalk so I couldn't hear him test the smoke detector!
Luckily, I have grown up. I can handle elevators, lightning, (some) fire...so far I haven't encountered spontaneous combustion or death- I'm just hoping they won't come at the same time!
Yesterday my smoke alarm starting beeping- it woke me up at 6:30, which is a great thing because I actually forgot to set my (sleeping) alarm! I took out the battery so it would stop annoying me.
The beeping stopped until I got home from work and heard it again, but I didn't hear it the rest of the night. THEN at 3:40 it started again! The beeps were closer together! I got out of bed and stood by the darn thing....no beeps- went back to bed. It not only detects smoke...it also detects REM cycles. Every time I'd drift off it would beep- and this isn't the kind of beep you can just ignore. It sounds like my little dog yelping; it's SO high! OH MISERY!
I thought about going to walmart and buying a battery (I actually went to the grocery store last night JUST to buy this stupid battery, but of course, I forgot and just bought food instead!) Option 2 would have been to call my apartment courtesy officer and see if he had a battery, but i think he might be for emergencies only (even though he's called the 'courtesy officer' and it would've been courteous of him to bring me a battery at 4 am!)
My 3rd option was pulling it off the wall completely. I think these things have minds of their own and I think it would freak out and scream for it's life if I tampered too badly with it- waking the entire neighborhood.
I ended up squeezing in 1 more REM cycle (I had a crazy dream). I CANNOT forget to buy that battery today! Hopefully I won't fall asleep at my desk today!
Monday, October 11
Retail Therapy
Man did I need it! HA!
Monday morning: I had 35 unread emails sitting on my phone and 13 calendar notifications. Yeah, I look at emails over the weekend as they come to my phone, but there isn't a lot I can do about them. They can wait until Monday morning.
That is...if your computer works. I got in today and tried logging onto my computer but I got an error that said something like "The security database does not recognize your workstation and can't support the security relationship." What in the world does that even mean!?
I called the help desk- in India. I got someone I could actually understand and they submitted a ticket for me. They said they could call the person on call if it was urget. As politely as I possibly could, I replied, "Well, I'm trying to start my workday and my computer won't turn on. Yes, it would be great if you would page someone for me."
I don't really know what came of that call because I just found our executive IT support guy and had him help me. Two hours after I got to work I was online and ready to go...great start to a Monday.
After work I gave in and took that nap I've been trying to break myself of! At 5 pm, when I left work, I had read all my emails. At 7 pm when I woke up, I had 13 emails. I don't even have a family but I enjoy having my evenings to myself where I don't think about work! I like having an off switch. Maybe that makes me weird or lazy, I don't know.
This is where the retail therapy comes in. My mom texted me this afternoon and told me everything at Gap was 40% off. Eh...ok. I had checked out their stock online and I wasn't ultra-impressed with their line this season, but hey, 40% off...I might find something.
I walked in the store and was completely appalled! I didn't think humans could be ravenous animals, but apparently shopping brings out people's primal instincts. The store was a wreck! I have seen Gaps during the holiday season, but I had never seen one this bad! I didn't see a single employee anywhere either! I guess they had been trampled or were buried under a pile of jeggings (yes...jean-leggings=jeggings, and NO...they don't work for me).
I don't feel bad about shopping since my mother was the one who told me about the sale. And since my Gap card was "suspended" because I never use it, I reactivated it and ended up saving 55%! WOO HOO! I am thoroughly proud of myself. I was surprised that the store wasn't completely picked-over. They still had a great selection and I found everything I wanted in the size I wanted it in! I'm pretty sure the majority of their inventory was in the dressing rooms instead of on the store floor. I felt so bad for the handful of employees left....they were severely understaffed and I felt like volunteering my evening to help them clean up! They really needed the Red Cross or some kind of disaster relief team to come in! Maybe Gap wouldn't have to have these "surprise" 40% off days if they would just not overprice their clothes in the first place. But that's just a thought....
Monday morning: I had 35 unread emails sitting on my phone and 13 calendar notifications. Yeah, I look at emails over the weekend as they come to my phone, but there isn't a lot I can do about them. They can wait until Monday morning.
That is...if your computer works. I got in today and tried logging onto my computer but I got an error that said something like "The security database does not recognize your workstation and can't support the security relationship." What in the world does that even mean!?
I called the help desk- in India. I got someone I could actually understand and they submitted a ticket for me. They said they could call the person on call if it was urget. As politely as I possibly could, I replied, "Well, I'm trying to start my workday and my computer won't turn on. Yes, it would be great if you would page someone for me."
I don't really know what came of that call because I just found our executive IT support guy and had him help me. Two hours after I got to work I was online and ready to go...great start to a Monday.
After work I gave in and took that nap I've been trying to break myself of! At 5 pm, when I left work, I had read all my emails. At 7 pm when I woke up, I had 13 emails. I don't even have a family but I enjoy having my evenings to myself where I don't think about work! I like having an off switch. Maybe that makes me weird or lazy, I don't know.
This is where the retail therapy comes in. My mom texted me this afternoon and told me everything at Gap was 40% off. Eh...ok. I had checked out their stock online and I wasn't ultra-impressed with their line this season, but hey, 40% off...I might find something.
I walked in the store and was completely appalled! I didn't think humans could be ravenous animals, but apparently shopping brings out people's primal instincts. The store was a wreck! I have seen Gaps during the holiday season, but I had never seen one this bad! I didn't see a single employee anywhere either! I guess they had been trampled or were buried under a pile of jeggings (yes...jean-leggings=jeggings, and NO...they don't work for me).
I don't feel bad about shopping since my mother was the one who told me about the sale. And since my Gap card was "suspended" because I never use it, I reactivated it and ended up saving 55%! WOO HOO! I am thoroughly proud of myself. I was surprised that the store wasn't completely picked-over. They still had a great selection and I found everything I wanted in the size I wanted it in! I'm pretty sure the majority of their inventory was in the dressing rooms instead of on the store floor. I felt so bad for the handful of employees left....they were severely understaffed and I felt like volunteering my evening to help them clean up! They really needed the Red Cross or some kind of disaster relief team to come in! Maybe Gap wouldn't have to have these "surprise" 40% off days if they would just not overprice their clothes in the first place. But that's just a thought....
Tuesday, October 5
My Kickball Skills are Subpar
Surprised? You shouldn't be.
I'm in the league more for the friends than the game. My teammates are cool, but every now and then they make me go up to bat. They told me to go to Center-Left (Isn't that an oxymoron...center but left?) Dad, I wish you would've helped bring out my inner athlete a little earlier in my life, because I'm having trouble finding her now.
I found Center Left, which was luckily in between 2 boys who did all the real work for me. I caught the ball once, unfortunately it wasn't an out, but I quickly got it out of my hands!
My team (Team Nameless) lost. 2-8 I think. We have room for improvement...for sure. It should be fun. I need to perfect my bunt (or just my kick in general. I got out both times I was up to bat).
I'm exhausted...we had a 9:00 game so now it's way past my bedtime!
(Kickball lessons welcomed!)
I'm in the league more for the friends than the game. My teammates are cool, but every now and then they make me go up to bat. They told me to go to Center-Left (Isn't that an oxymoron...center but left?) Dad, I wish you would've helped bring out my inner athlete a little earlier in my life, because I'm having trouble finding her now.
I found Center Left, which was luckily in between 2 boys who did all the real work for me. I caught the ball once, unfortunately it wasn't an out, but I quickly got it out of my hands!
My team (Team Nameless) lost. 2-8 I think. We have room for improvement...for sure. It should be fun. I need to perfect my bunt (or just my kick in general. I got out both times I was up to bat).
I'm exhausted...we had a 9:00 game so now it's way past my bedtime!
(Kickball lessons welcomed!)
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