Relocation

Hello all!

I am starting fresh. Please follow my new Blog - BrownE Chat http://brownechat.blogspot.com

-Erin

Weddings, Weddings, and more Weddings!

You know it’s bad when someone calls you out on not keeping up with your blog…but lately I’ve been so busy at work that I haven’t even had ten minutes to think about blogging..and when I get home, I don’t even turn on the computer!

That being said, today I’m way too distracted to be accomplishing anything productive. It seems like my wedding is a constant thought running thru my head. There is so much I’ve done, and even more I have left to do. I think all of the major things are taken care of, but now it’s the little things that are keeping me awake at night.

Today, I especially have wedding on my thoughts. My co-worker, Shelly, is getting married tomorrow. I’m so excited for her! I’ve been watching her plan, plan, and more plan…and it’s just so exciting that her big day is finally arriving! As I watched her during the days leading up to her wedding, I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous; I want my day to be here, NOW! Clearly I’m not ready, tho!

Today is also especially wedding’ish’ b/c Kate and William got married today. After watching some of the Royal Wedding, I have to admit my hopes to out do Kate were extinguished. I mean really, I don’t think I can compete with 2 billion people watching…regardless, I am marrying my Prince Charming, and that’s all that matters. Watching the Royal Wedding on TV has really gotten me excited tho. Just seeing the raw emotion of Kate and William brought butterflies to my stomach; I can’t wait to be in that moment!

Hallmark Holiday… So What?

My last blog post was slightly dismal… and although there are very real reasons I was sad and gloomy, perhaps it’s time for a more light and fluffy post…and what day is more perfect for light and fluffy, than Valentines Day?

Ok, sure. Valentines Day is by far the most Hallmark holiday in existence. And yes, you should be sweet and nice to your significant other all year long. But really, is there any harm in celebrating the person you love just a little extra, one day a year? Personally, I don’t want to go out to dinner tonight and I don’t need an expensive gift, but you won’t hear me complaining about being pampered a little extra today!

To be honest, I have my own theory about Valentines Day. Did you ever notice that Valentines Day falls right in between Christmas holidays, and spring? Maybe Valentines Day is a Hallmark holiday, but if you ask me, Hallmark hit the nail on the head when they strategically plotted Valentines Day right in the middle of dreary winter season. It’s always this time of year when I find myself really starting to get ‘seasonal depression’. Now I haven’t actually been diagnosed with any problem, but all I know is come February, all I want to do is sleep. In fact, I’m not really even interested in venturing out of the house…I don’t even feel like wedding planning (& now is a bad time to get the wedding-planning blues!!)

But here I am today, in a great mood and it’s the middle of February. Maybe it’s because it was unseasonably “warm” this weekend or b/c I got a ridiculous amount of sleep on Friday and Saturday nights. But really, I think I owe a special thank you to Hallmark, for making me in a great mood on this Valentines Day, which just happens to fall on a cold Monday this year.

Not so Invincible

It’s funny how things in life can creep up on you. You know how your mom always said “you’re not invincible!” (at least my mom always said that!)… somehow, I never really believed her. Sure, I thought I believed her. I honestly thought I was being careful. I always thought that I was taking enough precautions in my life. I studied hard, played harder, and thought “I’m a good person, so I’m good to go.”

Now I’m not all about spreading other peoples business, so I won’t go into detail… but recently I had two big eye openers. Two of my very close girlfriends are going thru life changing events, very different types of situations, one good & one bad, but life-changing none the less, and it has really made me think about my life, and what I would do in their situations.

To be honest, if I were in either of their situations, I don’t know what I would do. I guess I would pull myself together, and move on, or prepare (if you will)…but there are so many what-if’s. Maybe instead of thinking about what I would do, I ought to be more concerned with appreciating everything I have in my life, and simply be there for my friends when they need me.

This has been a very vague entry, and I apologize..but really my point is that sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routines of life, and forget about what really matters. Matt has never missed a day of work in his life (other than when he had emergency surgery) me on the other hand, I love my free time and take advantage of it. Now don’t get me wrong, Matt has plenty of leisure time, and he is great at balancing personal life and work life… but a very smart man, probably the most influential man in my life, keeps telling me “there isn’t one person in this world, that on his death bed said, “ I should have spent more time at the office”” Again, it’s not about having poor work ethic ( I like to think I’m a great asset to my employer!) but it’s about realizing what’s really important in your life, and not letting that slip away. Trust me, you always have 5 minutes to make a phone call – tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone and bad things really do happen to good people.

Change...is a good thing?

So first of all, I’m sorry for never blogging… I feel like I’m that horrible person in a relationship, you know, the one who is always sorry and constantly making excuses? That being said (this time, I promise..for real!) I am going to really spend some time keeping up with my blog this year. In fact, I’ve made it a 2011 resolution to actually work on it…hopefully it works out better than my 2010 resolution to lose 15lbs…

Anyhow, I really thought 2010 was my year of change. I officially left Northern MD and bought a house in Calvert County, I spent a full year working for at the American Diabetes Association, and oh yeah, I got engaged! Lots of big things happened for me in 2010, but here we are, starting a new year and already there are lots of big things happening for me in 2011!

First, and most importantly (according to Matt..) my commute to work is about to be cut by about 60%! Woo hooo! Unfortunately, that means I’m leaving ADA. Although working for the American Diabetes Association has been a great learning experience, I think it is time that I found a position a little closer to home, and that is a little more marketing focused. So, I recently accepted a position with Community Bank of Tri-County as a Marketing Specialist. I start the new job next week, and I am super excited to start this next endeavor in my life. It’s funny, but the number one question people are asking me is…what are you going to do with all that free time?! Even though getting up early is pretty much horrible, I’m fairly sure I’m going to try and keep my early bird schedule, that way I will be home in plenty of time to take advantage of the evening hours. Maybe I’ll even join a gym…ha let’s be honest, probably not! But really, I’m excited to cut the commute and actually be pleasant at the end of the day (I’m sure Matt won’t mind either!)

Second big change of 2011…this is my last year being Erin Sell…come September, I will join the ranks of the Brown family! I’m very excited about the wedding (and there is a ton of planning left to do) but I’m sure by the time it gets here, everything will fall into place, and my day will be as wonderful as the man I’m sharing it with!

Going to the Chapel and We’re….Gonna get married!

Although I’m terrible at blogging, I think by this point it’s common knowledge that Matt and I are getting married!!

On August 25, 2010 (also Christines birthday!) Matt took me up to his grandparents cabin, where he asked me to marry him. I’ve told the story about 200 times, but every time I make sure and end it with “it was absolutely perfect, and the entire thing fit Matt’s personality, I wouldn’t have had it any other way” – basically because to someone else, the proposal on the front porch might not have been quite how they imagined… but if you know Matt, you know he loves being outside, four wheeling, camo hats, and basically loves just enjoying the small things in life – which is exactly how it went, nothing fancy (although the ring, is absolutely breathtaking!), but simple and quaint, exactly how our life together is, perfect – for us.

Since then, all bets are off. I have been in full wedding planning mode. I immediately booked our venue for the reception and ceremony for September 3, 2011. It will be outdoors, in St. Mary’s County, on the water. I am absolutely I love with the site! I have also decided on a dress. After trying on lots of dresses, I found one that really gave me the “this is the one” feeling. Although I didn’t really expect to have that feeling, I knew the dress was it the moment I put it on. Won’t elaborate too much tho – if you want to know more, just ask! I also decided on our wedding party, colors, food, etc. If you ask Matt, I’ve slightly turned into a bridezilla. Thankfully I have a wonderful family, great friends, and an amazing finance (ahhh finally getting used to that word!) to keep me from getting out of control.

All in all, its been a busy couple of months- but basically I’m the luckiest girl in the world, and I can’t wait to be Mrs. Brown!

Life in Calvert County

First, let me apologize for my lack of blogging. The past few months have been crazy with moving and such, but now that I’m firmly settled into what I will be calling “home” from this point forward – I guess I need to step up my game, at least with keeping up on my blog.

Life in Calvert County is nice. It’s quiet and it’s a bit slow; what I would call a happy medium between St. Mary’s 7th District, and Baltimore Cities Federal Hill. All in all, I am loving the new house, loving living with Matt, and moreover absolutely in love with the natural beauties that are found right in my back yard. (not literally, but close enough!)

Now let me preface my next statement with – I love working at ADA. But (yes, there is always a but) sometimes things can get a bit overwhelming, and after what I would call – being on the verge of a freak out- Wednesday, I decided it was a good idea to take a personal day. So I came home Wednesday night very chipper that I could sleep past 5:45am on a weekday, woohoo!

Wednesday night Matt and I went in search of a public beach near our house. I have been aimlessly driving around for weeks, with little to no luck in finding any sort of “public” recreational area for lounging. Surrounded by water…literally we are nestled right between the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay, it would be logical that a public beachy area would be easy to find. Not so much. After another failed attempt at searching for the beach, I was slightly disheartened. Non the less, after a great night sleep, we headed out again to search for the sand.

After finding 2 other small beaches, Matt, Ginger and I stumbled across Flag Pond Park. We had to pay to get into the park, and then walk to the beach…but after so many failures, we figured, hey what’s one more walk? After a leisurely walk for about ¾ of a mile we came to the clearing on the beach, and WOW was about all I could say. The beach I have so anxiously awaiting to find, has finally revealed itself.






I can’t take credit for these photos, however this is exactly what I saw when I came through the clearing. It was most certainly worth the wait. In fact, we almost immediately went home and got our swim suites, and the three of us spent the day lounging on the beach. (Ginger was a little confused & didn’t love that we tried to make her swim – maybe next time she will be a little more brave when it comes to the water)

Anyone who knows me knows I love the beach. And somehow, I think Calvert County just won my heart.

Spring has Sprung

Spring is finally here (although I heard something about flurries on the radio this morning…) and I can’t believe how refreshing it is to just be outside. Maybe this Winter felt exceptionally long – 3 major snow storms can give just about anyone cabin fever if you ask me – but I know when the first signs of Spring started appearing a few weeks ago, it was like I turned into a totally new person! Daylight savings time came early this year, but if you ask me, it couldn’t have gotten here fast enough. Now that it’s actually light out when I get home from work, I feel like I have my life back. I am motivated to exercise, run errands, and just generally stay awake past 8pm. I feel like I have been more productive in the past 2 weeks, with my home life, then I have in months!

With the new beginning of Spring, comes new beginnings for Matt and me. We have our pre-settlement walk-thru on our house today, and we move in permanently on Wednesday. I can’t believe that Matt is actually buying his first house! I know I have been there every step of the way, and I have helped with just about everything, but when it comes down to it, Matt is the one signing the papers, and I am so proud of him. Most people our age aren’t even thinking about buying homes, and he has really made my dream become a reality.

There are so many things to be excited about with this new house of ours, so maybe highlighting the most important things is the best route to go:
- Matt and I can have time together
- Ginger will no longer bother her aunty Kirby
- I will have my own Walk-In closet
- Our commutes to and from work are going to be much shorter!!!
- The HUGE bathtub

We are planning a house warming part-tay; details to come.

Shopping Attempt - Fail

So the contract on the townhouse has been ratified and accepted and so now should be the fun part – shopping for house ‘stuff’. Mom and I went out this weekend (both Saturday and Sunday) with intent of purchase. After about 8-10 hours of shopping split between two days, I returned home defeated, only purchasing a small shelving unit and a spaghetti strainer.
As I trucked up to Bel Air on Friday night, traffic was a nightmare and it took Ginger and me about 3 hours, I anxiously awaited the weekend ahead. Mom and I had a list of stores that filled an entire 8 ½ by 11 sheet of paper that we were going to go to. Everything from Target and Bed Bath and Beyond, to Goodwill and antique flee markets. Now I know that sometimes these type of stores are hit or miss, but really? How is it possible for all 12 of them to be a miss?! We strolled thru shop after shop, and I eagerly awaited something to ‘pop’ out at me. You know that feeling when you see the perfect dress, and you think “this is it!” Well that is what I was waiting for, on just about any and all house stuff…and all I got was a strainer.
Although slightly disappointed, I came home knowing that the stuff that is meant for my house will come eventually. So if anyone is getting rid of any household goodies, don’t call the truck before checking in with me! So far, the best treasures I have gotten have been from other peoples garages!

Business Travel

So this past weekend, I went on my first business trip. My travels took me across the continental US to the lovely state of California, San Francisco to be precise. To be quite honest, I wasn't that excited about the trip. First of all, it meant I wasn't going to be having a weekend, and secondly the 'biggest snow storm to ever hit MD' was occurring within hours of my departure. Being the worry wort that I am, I was a bit nervous about traveling in the big snow, and even more nervous about being stuck in San Francisco. Despite my worries, I made the trek to the airport at 2 a.m. on Friday morning, and after several mishaps (to avoid whining I'll just leave it at that) made it San Francisco at 6 p.m. local time (9 p.m. in Baltimore)

The trip was a big success! The 57th Annual Postgraduate Course, the conference I have been working on since I started at ADA, went off with flying colors and raving reviews, and I loved San Francisco! I can't wait to go back! The city was gorgeous, the people were nice, and the weather was a perfect 60 degrees. Coming from the 25 degrees in MD, it felt like a taste of Spring...which was just enough to put a little pep in my step.

I spent Saturday night out on the town with ADA's newest intern, Cassie. We had dinner at a cute little place down in Fisherman's Wharf, had Irish Coffee at the famous Buena Vista Cafe, and rode the Cable Cars up to the top of the hill. All in all, it was a great time and we did some fabulous sight seeing!

After several problematic phone calls with the airlines (mostly non-weather related) I finally made it back to MD on Tuesday around 2 a.m. (again to avoid whining, I'll leave it at that)

Although I was very unhappy about missing the big snow, I think in retrospect I'm glad I wasn't here. The latest and greatest 'blizzard of 2010, round 2' has got me stuck inside with cabin fever and longing for Spring time. Not to mention the heaping piles of snow just waiting to be shoveled.

The "Weekend"

As I have now moved from the full time occupation: Student, to the full time occupation: Specialist, Sci-Med & Professional Education, I am started to learn that ‘weekend’ has an entirely new meaning. Prior to entering the workforce, to me, weekend was a time of relaxation and fun. Friday night (well in all reality Thursday night) meant it was time to let loose and have some fun! Although this is still sometimes the case, I am finding that I am now looking at the weekend in a more literal sense, meaning the work week is over, and now it is time to do all that stuff I was way too tired to get accomplished during the week. Things like laundry, groceries, general chores and visiting family/friends. Not to minimize family and friends into the category of necessary obligations, but simply to justify that making time for people outside of the immediate living situation can sometimes be difficult when working a ‘9-5’ job.

I had a chance to catch up with some old friends this weekend. It was really nice to chat, fill in the ‘what’s new’ which in my case is just about everything, and to just enjoy some FANTASTIC Baltimore football. However during our ‘what’s new’ conversation, I made a comment about how the ‘9-5’ job wasn’t as fantastic as I thought it would be, as far as having time to do other things was concerned. When I said this, my friend (who has been in the work-force a bit longer then I have) chuckled and quickly corrected me with “oh you mean 7-6:30 job”

Somehow, I feel like the reality of the work day, is that even if you are supposed to work 8 hours, or 8.5 for me ( 1 hour lunch included) it really never ends up being that way. For some, like my dear friend who just recently became a CPA for a major accounting firm, 9-5 some how equates to a depressed text message at 8:30pm Saturday night that reads “just finished my 70 hour work week, FML” For others like myself, it means working the allotted 8 hours, and assuming there is no extra work that needs completion, driving the grueling 60-90 minutes home thru traffic. Add 60-90 minutes each way to work, and somehow 8 hours turns into almost 11.

All that being said, I’m finding it really hard to balance work / family / friends. This weekend I went home to visit with my family. It was so nice to just be able to relax and know that someone would take care of me. I spent the majority of the weekend camped out on the couch watching re-runs of Law and Order with my mom. I did have lunch with a girlfriend and her adorable daughter, breakfast with a lovely journalist friend, and like I said, watched some great football with some old friends, but somehow I feel like the weekend was slow. Slow in the sense that I didn’t get anything accomplished. I didn’t do laundry, I didn’t go grocery shopping and Ginger didn’t get the bath she needed - - but honestly I don’t really care. Maybe my weekend wasn’t the ‘let loose and have fun’ weekend that it used to be, but it was full of familiar faces and down time, and I think that was exactly what I needed!

On House Hunting

So Matt and I have started ‘house hunting.’ With my new job in Alexandria, VA I was left with no choice but to uproot from the comfort of Northern MD, and head south. Lucky for me, my lovely boyfriend happens to already live in Southern MD so my new destination has been St. Clements Island. St. Clements Island is a very nice, southern area. It has big rolling fields (farmed in the summer time, but fairly desolate right now) and a beautiful water view. Unfortunately, it is a bit of a hike from Alexandria, so Matt and I started the long process of house hunting.

Being a first time home buyer, there is a great advantage to purchasing a home prior to the end of April 2010… and by great advantage, I mean an $8000 tax credit. That being said, we decided it would be very beneficial if we got our tails in gear and started seriously moving on the house project.

Part of being a first time home buyer means that you have NO idea what you’re getting into. Lucky for us, Matt’s parents have a good friend, and real estate agent, who is taking great care of us each step of the way. We started working with him (better not to list his name) sometime in Mid-December. Between then and now, Matt and I have learned that we aren’t going to get our dream home, but if we get lucky, we will get something that meets our needs (and some of our wants!)

Our main goals are to find a home somewhere that is reasonable for both our work schedules – We decided on Prince Frederick, MD. It’s going to be about 50 miles for me and about 20 -30 miles for Matt. Ideally we would find some where right in the middle, but as we quickly learned, pricing for homes is based A LOT on location. We are also looking for something that doesn’t need an extreme amount of work…neither one of us have the time or cash right now to be working on a ‘project’ home. And last but not least we are looking for a house that will be do-able with our furry friend. Ginger needs a lot of space, and we would really like to be able to give it to her. Obviously we won’t give up a great home because the back yard is not huge…but if all goes as planned we are hoping to get something with a nice backyard.

Maybe I’m not going to be moving into my dream home- you know, walk in closets, full cathedral ceilings, a grand foyer, wrap around porch, yadeyadeya… but I couldn’t be happier that Matt, Ginger and I are going to be finding a place to call home!

2009…It’s Been Quite a Year…

As I sit and reflect on another year past, it seems that this year has been quite extraordinary compared to the last few.

As many of my close friends know, my college years were quite hectic, absurd if you will. They were filled with a series of bad choices, heartache, disappointment, and of course a little bit of learning. However, when I sit and think about 2009 I really can say I closed out my time at Towson University with a bang, made some great friends, made some really touch choices, but all in all, had what I might consider one of the best years of my life so far.

Now I know that if you sit and try and think about negative things that have happened it is easy to be overwhelmed, but Matt has me trying this new tactic where I only focus on the positive things in my life… and so here is my recap of 2009 highlights: all the positive, amazing things that are happening in my life.

Decided to fly to LA to spend time with a guy (Matt) that I had only met a handful of times: turned out to be a wonderful life changing decision.

Went on a cruise with Matt and friends: What a fantastic vacation that turned out to be! Some fun in the sun during the cold winter months can really turn around those winter blues.

Graduated from Towson University: What a relief it was to finally be done with college! (Even tho I miss it sometimes now – who’da thunk!?)

Went on a phenomenal road trip with Christine and Monkey: Traveling in the USA wasn’t exactly my idea of a great Graduation Trip, however after spending time with Christine all over the south, I can’t think of any other way I would have rather done it. We saw so many different places, sat on the beach, did touristy activities, drank and partied in New Orleans… spent time with great friends, doesn’t get better then that!

Temped at the Baltimore American Diabetes Association: During my time at ADA Baltimore I was a temp for the Step Out Walk. I loved working with the non-profit organization and working with the Baltimore community to come together to try and stop diabetes.

Moved down to Federal Hill with Tasha, Christine Marks, and Laura: Now I know I don’t love living in the city, and it wasn’t my favorite thing… but I loved my roomies and I’m so glad I had the chance to spend time with them. I also learned that city living is not for me, and its out of my system – and now I know I want to be out in the country… lesson learned.

Said goodbye to my best friend: There is some quote from Sex and The City about how maybe it is your girlfriends who can be your soul mates… and in my case, Christine and I are most definitely destined to be best friends forever. As our 17th anniversary came and went this fall, I realized that no matter where she is, or how long we’re apart, it doesn’t matter. As soon as we are together again, its like no time has passed. This summer she made the choice to go to Denmark for graduate school and although I miss her, I’m so proud of her for being able to go so far away from her friends and family to pursue her dreams. Ps. Between the two of us, we know everything!

Took a terrible job at a mortgage company: The job was answering phones and cleaning out the fridge…oh and watering the plants. Again, lesson learned. I don’t ever want to be a secretary, and furthermore my telephone demeanor after 85 calls in 3 hours is just not good.

Got a job at the ADA home office: The job I took with American Diabetes Association is in the home office as part of the Sci-Med Professional Education Department. Now I know this isn’t what I went to school for, and wasn’t what I thought I would be doing… but turns out I really enjoy it and I’m finding that the more I learn about the different aspects of Non-Profit, the more I know this is where I want to continue my career.

Had to move…again: So taking the job in Alexandria, VA meant that I couldn’t really keep living in Balitmore City. So, my amazing boyfriend and his gracious family have allowed me to move in with them. It has been hard being away from my family and friends at home, but now I’m living with Matt and things are really starting to come together. Currently, Matt and I are looking for our own house to settle down in.

Adopted Ginger: Ginger came quite unexpectedly to Matt and me. We knew we wanted a dog once we moved… I’m not too keen on sleeping totally alone in a house… so we decided we would just ‘look’ at the Harford County Humane Society. Word to the Wise: don’t go there if you’re planning on getting a pup in the future, because odds are you will fall in love with one and that’s all she wrote. Ginger (Gingerbread at the time) practically chose us, and with a fated name like Ginger (Matt being a red head) how could we say no? So now Matt and I are the proud parents of a Blue Tick Coonhound. She is loving and sweet and howls like no other – she really makes us happy.

Spent the holiday with some great family and friends: Now anyone who has been at my house over the holidays the past few years knows that I haven’t always been the most cheerful, but this year I couldn’t have been happier. I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family and Matt and even Christine made it home from across the pond. It really has been the season to be jolly…

Oh and I had swine flu... nothing positive about that, haha.

So I guess that about wraps it up… there have been so many more amazing things going on and I’m sure I could go on forever, but 2009 is quickly coming to an end.. and I can’t wait to see all the great things that 2010 will have to offer!

Happy New Year!

Big Update

Overall, I think I am slightly failing at this ‘blog’ thing. I am bad at keeping up with it, and for the most part when I write about things I think they are fairly uninteresting to everyone but me… but honestly I started it so that I could ramble on about things going on in my life… so if it’s boring to read, I extend my most sincere apologies.

Well I think I’m going to keep this mostly to a general update on my life… which has changed a bit in the last month or so.

For starters, I started a working as a Receptionist at New Day Financial, in Columbia Maryland. Basically my duties include, answering the phone (hundreds of times per day - - no exaggeration) ordering office supplies, watering the plants, and keeping the fridge clean… yeah…. It sure is exciting being a receptionist. In my previous blogs I have written about my time at American Diabetes Association. I was so sad when I had to stop working there, and was disappointed that they were on a hiring freeze. Well, all my hard work in college has paid off! I was offered a position with the ADA working in the Medical Research Department organizing conferences that will be hosting up to 20,000 people! I am so excited that this opportunity has come my way, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to start working there in 2 week. The only down side to this position is that it is in Alexandria, VA. It is a well known fact that my mom and I are quite close, to put it midly. I am very sad that I am going to be working so far away from my family and I’m sure that not being able to pop in for some mommy TLC is really going to be a big adjustment for me. That being said, it looks like I am going to be moving south at some point soon. Not that I am not excited about driving FOREVER in traffic down thru DC, but really I’m not about to be doing that for too long. Google Maps says its 45 mins from Federal Hill to Alexandria, I guess we’ll see!

On the flip side, Matt also got a great job! He is going to be starting this coming Monday at the Lusby Constellation Energy Plant, as a member of the Nuclear SRT (Special Response Team) Since he will be back to work, we have started looking into getting a place that would be about half way for both of us to go to work. That is still a little ways out tho, as my lease isn’t up until May.

In other news, I’m going on a mini getaway this weekend with Matt and friends to VA to go “camping.” By camping I mean that I’m staying in a cabin with a hot tub and equally fantastic amenities. Can’t wait for Friday…..

Hello Real World--- It's not so nice meeting you.

I have been incredibly stretched with my new job, so my apologies for the long laps in entries. I recently started my first “real job” at New Day Financial. Overall, the job is very basic and entry level, however its ability to open my eyes to the “real world” has been quite the experience. I am just a receptionist here at New Day possibly transferring into the HR department at some point; however I am finding it slightly exhausting. I have never held a position where I worked from 8:30am-5:30pm consistently each day, and although I thought I knew what I was getting into, the long hours and short evenings are making me slightly edgy, if you will. Sometimes, especially at night when I feel like I barely have the time, or the energy, to make something simple for dinner and shower, I feel like there is no time to do what I want, or enjoy. Sure I have the weekend, but this past weekend I think I slept more then anything else. I was actually completely out cold by 9:30pm on Saturday evening. It was sad.

I guess being an adult isn’t all its cracked up to be. Of course, it has its perks. Relationships, freedom, and white wine make the weeks’ mundane dullness worth every minute… So come on Friday night, I need you now!

Welcome Fall

What a great way to start a new season…as Fall arrived, I was introduced to what I will now call a annual tradition, Blessing of the Fleet. As I trekked down to Southern MD on Saturday afternoon, after a long long morning working at the ADA Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes, I found myself exhausted and not wanting to attend yet another fundraiser. However, about 15 seconds of being down near St. Clements Island quickly changed my attitude for the afternoon. It didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect, but the island was bustling with local “7-D” and St. Mary’s County folk. There was the aroma of traditional southern food and a great live band playing in the background. That isn’t what got me hooked though. Walking down into Blessing of the Fleet, it’s hard to miss the breath taking view of the water. I am what some people have called “destined to live in SMC” but this weekend, I decided that it was definitely going to happen. I couldn’t get enough of the sparkling water, southern hospitality, and genuinely picturesque country fair.

Great food, fun music, good company, what a perfect way to end summer and start fall.

Frustration with Facts

I have recently found myself more and more interested in the politics that seem to be consuming every media outlet. As a recent college graduate, I should be educated on politics, and how it affects me. However, as a dependent of my parents until just a few short months ago, the issues at hand seemed alien to me, and with that being said, I was pretty much oblivious to the major workings of our political system.

Being thrown into the real world, I have found that the “hot topics” of our society are no longer non-applicable to my life and are, in fact, weighing heavily on my day-to-day decisions. The current national healthcare situation is pertinent to my personal current lack-of-healthcare dilemma, and the economy is keeping me from being in a job that is even remotely related to my field of study. Among other issues like the current war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which affect my boyfriend more than me, I am very frustrated with my lack of ability to find FACTS. I am surly able to locate all kinds of media opinions of the issues. However, being the young adult that I am, I would much rather get the basic facts, and form my own opinions. After all, that is why I went to college, right?

Just this weekend, I found myself intently listening to a radio discussion about the oversaturation of media in our society. The discussion focused on how it is up to the American listeners to sort through the garbage and get the information. However, when media was originated, wasn’t it supposed to provide the public with facts about current happenings? Of course, I love to listen to what media sources have to say, it gives me a chance to think like the devil’s advocate. However a lot of the time, I would really like to AT LEAST have a chance to form my own opinion based only on the facts, and not what someone else has to say about it.

The ACORN scandal is the perfect example. I heard about the issue, and listened to countless discussions about it. I went on to speak with my mom about it, only to learn the discussions I heard on CNN were completely opposite to what she heard on Fox News. So, which news outlet is providing accurate details of the event?

Furthermore, the issues involving the war and our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan frustrate me to no end! I am very guilty of being uneducated about the war. Matt just finished a tour in Iraq, and I still find myself a bit in the dark about what exactly is going on. At least I admit I am ignorant of the facts. Just last week, Matt was in the grocery store. There was a headline about Afghanistan, and someone pointed out to him that it’s really bad over there. Matt didn’t hesitate to tell him that it was much worse in 2006. Upon Matt’s response, the person promptly informed Matt that “US didn’t have troops in Afghanistan in 2006.” That’s interesting, considering Matt was there in 2006…

This truly illustrates that lack of knowledge that is in our society. With the overwhelming amount of media available, it’s amazing how much of it is really trash and a waste. Wouldn’t it be nice just to have a place to go and actually learn what is going on? I’m not bashing those who are in media jobs, I myself would like to be in one. I’m just annoyed that I have trouble sorting fact from fiction in an area where that should never need to be done.

A New Chapter

This weekend was certainly an eye opener for me. I graduated college in May, but I think mentally I finally graduated and started a new chapter in my life over this past weekend. Sure, I went through the ritualistic parties and celebrations a few months ago, even went on a celebratory road trip, but it didn’t really set in until I finally let go of all things “college.”

I have been working at Ruth’s Chris Steak House since I graduated from high school in 2005. It helped me pay all of my “bills” in college—ie. Going to the bars and buying cute new outfits, and maybe the occasional BGE or Car Insurance payment. Well this weekend, I worked my last day at Ruth’s Chris, my security blanket job that I finally let go. It was a bitter sweet experience, I hated working there, but somehow it was comforting to know I had a backup plan. On a whim a few weeks ago, I gave my notice. Maybe I should have done it a while ago, anyone who knows me knows how much that place needed to go, but still it was easy, so I stayed.

As I said goodbye to my best friend, who is now in Denmark for Grad School, I also “worked” my last day in the restaurant industry. When I say worked, I mean I showed up and the schedule was messed up so subsequently I spent $9.00 in tolls and parking fees to turn around and go home, typical.

So now I find myself away from everything I associated with college. My best friend has moved onto bigger things, I let go of my job that was always my safety net, I moved away from Towson, and my boyfriend is coming home! Since Matt and I started dating he has been living in LA, and now he will be in MD with me, so that- combined with the rest of my epiphany that I am no longer a child- has really made me realize I am in the real world. It’s so strange to hear people talk about going back to school next week. I have caught myself, on several occasions, about to jump into a conversation that is now a mute point in my life.

I’m waiting to start missing college, but for now, I’m happy with how things are going, and hopefully all these new things will start to become routine.

Shortcomings in Stress Management

Handling stress is not one of my best qualities. Somehow I manage to bury my growing frustrations until I explode, which was the case this past weekend. It would seem that my life is not really all that stressful. I have a job (2 for that matter), and even though I’m not rolling in dough, I make enough to get by. I have a fantastic boyfriend, who is my emotional backbone, most of the time. I have a supportive family, and although they drive me slightly nuts, they are a group of genuinely nice people, who are always looking out for me. And I have a great group of friends, who are generally reliable and fun to be around. Now maybe I’m just over sensitive, but it’s the day to day things that make me slightly neurotic.

I’ll back track to this past weekend. I have a building irritation about living down town. Perhaps city living, even in the brief stint I have experienced it, is just not for me. I feel like me living in the city, is like trying to make an elephant live in a tree, it just won’t work, period. This weekend started out a bit rough. It took me 45 minutes to drive from Ruth’s Chris Steak House to my house in Fed Hill, approximately 1.5 miles. I should have walked, but that’s neither here nor there. I have decided that “Operation Orange Cone” as well as the hundreds of pointless traffic cops, are the reason for the cities gridlock. I mean really, construction is a positive thing, but DON’T re-construct all of Baltimore at the same time! I’m not sure if there are other people with frustrations for the traffic cops, but personally they make me want to swerve on purpose just to scare them. I’m fairly certain they aren’t police, so how can they write tickets?! Furthermore, they stand in the middle of busy intersections, telling me when I can go. Excuse me, I can see my car won’t fit, and I don’t need you to tell me I can’t merge, get out of the way, I’m doing it anyhow. Not to mention they all wear those blue tooth cell phone headsets, which in and of itself drives me up a wall!

So, after my 45 minute trek from work, I had an enjoyable night out on the town at an Orioles Game. The evening started well, but went drastically downhill when I was forced to call the police on a couple of coked up, belligerently drunk, obnoxiously trashy women. Not only did they scream at pedestrians, the one woman went as far as to punch a guy who was walking out of the new corner bar. (Irritations about the new bar to come, don’t worry!) So finally Tasha and I decided enough was enough and called the cops. Not a minute after that, the women got in the car and drove, or should I say swerved away…at which point we reported a drunk driver. Who knew, within the Federal Hill community, was a hidden group of drug addicted trailer trash?

The following morning really iced the cake for me. Baltimore City cops are failing to arrest drug dealers, but somehow have time to ticket me for an expired license plate. OK, if the plates had been expired for more than say, 10 HOURS, I might be able to understand. But no, they expired at mid-night, and by 11 a.m. I had a ticket. At this point, I was unable to deal with the stressors of living in the city, so I went to my mom’s house. (My destination for the day anyhow, to get the replacement for my now expired license plate sticker) Unfortunately I had a mild breakdown. I spent the remainder of the weekend, alone, brooding about my frustrations for the city. Not exactly the best way to handle stress.

I decided, after my weekend of pouting, I was going to take steps to make my stress more manageable. I decided to keep a journal, write more on my blog, and exercise. Playing tennis helps, but more than once every two weeks is probably needed. Great, I have a game plan! So with my fresh thoughts in mind, I headed home from work last night ready to take a relaxing shower, get a good night’s rest, and try and learn to love the city, the place I now call home. How about NO! It took me upwards of an hour to find parking last night. I didn’t actually even find it. I illegally parked outside the new bar on the corner. I went in and begged the bar tenders not to have my car towed away. Lucky for me, one was leaving and he said I could take his spot. What a nice thought, however I can’t help but complain about the fact that the employees, as well as customers at the new bar are taking up the parking on my street! It just never ends.

I’m doing my best to be less stressed. Seriously, I have a chronic stress induced rash that has gotten severely worse in the past few months. I really need to get things under control. Perhaps focusing on the little things is the key. Things like, good morning text messages, eating lunch outside, and showers with scented candles… I don’t know, but something has got to give.

Cell Phone Detox Needed

Anyone who knows anything about me knows, I’m addicted to my cell phone. Just to be clear, when I use the word “addicted” I use it in the full sense of the word. Other then plane rides, the last time I can remember having my cell phone off or away from me for more than an hour was in January. For a full week in January, I was cell phone free, and it was glorious. Don’t be deceived however, I did not choose to be without my mobile connection to the world, and I was extremely unhappy to see that I couldn’t even get my phone to keep track of time, as I was on a Caribbean cruise, and apparently towers don’t accurately reach out into the middle of large bodies of water. Cell phone companies should get on that. As I boarded the vessel, I saw that my cell phone was quickly losing bars, I was entering the forbidden and dreaded “dead zone.” Anxiously, I walked around the deck, waving my phone in the air, desperately trying to find a spot where “No Service” would disappear. I was not in luck, and subsequently I was the frustrated moron wandering aimlessly around the boat with a non-working cellular device. At this point, I gave in and powered down the cell phone. Honestly, I should have realized that it was pointless to have the phone, as I was on the cruise with Matt, and the only other people who I have frequent contact with had already been informed that I was going to be out of touch for just over a week. Still, I’m addicted to my constant connection with everyone, and was very stressed that I would miss something hugely critical at home, due to my lack of availability.

My time on the cruise without a phone was very relaxing. The background of my life transformed from “I Believe in Miracles,” “Sister Golden Hair Surprise,” and “Mooo” (the obnoxious cow sound for my text message alerts) to an amazing ocean hum and mariachi band that played on deck. As an addict, it would be logical to assume that my week of cell phone detox would have helped me to move forward and let go of my cell phone obsession. This was not the case. The minute I left the ship, on came the cell phone, and the constant noise and distraction that accompanies it.

In a world where everyone has a cell phone, some basic rules of etiquette should be followed, the operative word in the sentence being “should.” Now I have acknowledged that I spend a ridiculous amount of time on my phone, but this does not mean, I have not figured out when and where cell phones are appropriate.

• Doctor’s Offices: I read a sign that says “Please do not use cell phones for calling or texting while with physician” First of all, in what world is it OK to spend hundreds of dollars per hour on a doctor visit, and at the same time be using a cell phone that is going to take away a significant amount of attention from the visit. While in a doctor’s appointment, what could possibly be more important than listening to the physician?!?! If there is something that pressing that it can’t wait until the 15 minute appointment is over, reschedule. Don’t waste the doctor’s time, its rude.

• Movie Theaters: “Don’t spoil the movie by adding your own soundtrack.” I would like to think that movie theaters implemented this pre-movie slogan so that the pre-teens who recently were allowed cell phone privileges would refrain from texting and calling during the movie. Sadly I don’t think this is the case. As an adult, no one should have to be told that texting and calling people during a movie that I paid $12 to see it NOT OK!! Don’t think I can’t see the light from your phone! The room is dark and your phone has an LCD screen! I can’t lie, I’m guilty of the occasional phone check while I’m in the theater, but I always make it a point to keep the phone deep in my purse, or covered by a sweat-shirt, and I certainly don’t have conversations on my phone while in the theater. So unless it’s an emergency, keep the phone usage in theaters to a minimum, seriously it’s annoying.

• Restaurants: Being in the restaurant industry, this is a personal pet peeve of mine. I can’t stand it when people come up to the hostess stand on a cell phone. I’m not going to start talking until I have full attention. I’m not wasting my time, since I know that I’m going to have to repeat myself anyhow. Also, it doesn’t matter how many people are in the group. Whether it’s two or 10, having dinner out is supposed to be an enjoyable experience between the people at the meal. If someone isn’t there, that’s too bad, don’t be rude to the people who are there by chatting throughout the meal.

• Blue Tooth Ear Devices: The ONLY time I think that these are OK is at work, hands free can be quite practical, or while driving. I’m really not sure why people think that they are so important that they must be physically connected at all times to a phone. Reality check, it looks ridiculous and is totally obnoxious to talk to yourself (which is what it looks like!)
  

Like I said before, I’m addicted to my phone. In this day and age, everyone has a cell phone, and most people would put themselves into a category similar to my addicted state. I mean sure, I keep a phone charger in the car for “emergencies,” I keep it on silent all day to conserve precious battery life, and I sleep with my phone next to my bed, just in case…but hey I’m a work in progress. Maybe my connection with my phone is somehow related to the fact that I hate being alone. Or maybe I just use it as a tool to keep myself from being bored all the time, I don’t know. I do know however, that I need to learn to put it down and leave it more often. It is a constant stressor that can easily be eliminated.

Food for Thought: in the last 14 months, I have spent over 11.5 days talking on my cell phone….