New Year, etc.

Writing as I try and tie up loose ends on the next-to-last day of the year.
Making progress on some things, but others keep popping up randomly.
I can find some solace in realizing that everything changes.
And this site says everything gets deleted, eventually, but notsomuch this, now that there’s more than one author.

12.21.17

I’ve been thinking about something quite a bit lately that I want to get off my chest.  I am very discouraged by people who are dismissive of something another person enjoys, just because they don’t find the same enjoyment from it.
You don’t enjoy sex?  That doesn’t mean someone who does is a whore or a slut.
Don’t like a certain type of food?  Don’t say it’s disgusting and make wretching noises because you see someone else enjoying it.
Don’t like a certain TV show?  Don’t watch it, you don’t need to tell anyone else you don’t like it.
I guess the point of all of this is that, if someone’s life isn’t affecting you personally, why do you feel the need to have an opinion on it?
Until next time…

12.12.17

Well, maybe next time.  I thought if I didn’t receive an offer I would be devastated.  I feel the exact opposite of that right now.  Although I did get a rejection, I was also given feedback about what to improve and I was strongly encouraged to apply again.  So, I have something that they think would be a fit for them, I just need to improve my articulation and be able to explain how my experience in class will translate to the mission at hand for them.
But I have a 4 hour train ride ahead of me, so get comfy because it is going to be a long one.  I would talk about the scenery, but it is December so the sun has set at 4:30.  There is a giant Masonic temple at the Alexandria station.  I always use it as a guiding beacon when I go into the district.  There is graffiti under the bridges and I always enjoy looking at it because the people who create it are talented, even if most would consider it vandalism.  There are cows in Woodbridge (who knew?).
The woman sitting in front of me is on the phone with someone who just lost a loved one.  The flood of “I’m sorries” makes me think about darker Decembers from the past.  It also serves as a reminder that life continues even though we hit bumps in the road.  I know that I am supposed to be in the Northern Virginia area, and I know that whatever I do, I want to support the military or the government in some capacity.  I wish I had known this when I started college nearly 4 years ago, but then I might not have had the experiences that I have had.
I also think that this trip has been a stepping off point for me.  I can do things on my own and live to tell about it.  I did everything to prepare for this trip mostly independent of help from other people (Of course, my BIL and SIL were a big help transporting me, giving me a place to stay, and helping me with my pitch), but I had to be the one to overcome my fear of what-ifs in order to get here in the first place.
(The power lines in the river around Quantico have blinking lights on them.  Not the normal lights, but ones that blink in an inverted V pattern and go faster than the usual ones on top of radio towers.  They are also white instead of red).
Getting back to what I was saying, a few months ago, I wouldn’t have done this.  I would have passed up an opportunity for something that might end up being my dream career because I was unwilling to take risks.  Every important decision I tried to make was a constant barrage of what-if this?, what-if that?, always the negative consequences of something that might happen if I tried.  Well, today I TRIED, I didn’t succeed today from the perspective of going home with a job offer in my hands.  I did succeed in gaining knowledge from my interviewers on what I need to improve and the encouragement to try again.  That was something I had been missing in my job search.
(Also I enjoy looking at people’s IP names. “Gulag’s Guest” was a favorite.)
Still looking forward to being home and having tomato basil soup and grilled cheese.
Then to prep for my interview on Thursday.
P.s. Amtrak’s Wifi is not that great, so don’t hope to accomplish much if you rely on it.

12.11.17

So today is the day before my interview with DIA.  Early start to the morning in order to get the train up to Alexandria, but I made it.  I summoned a Lyft and got to the station with plenty of time to spare.  Then I slept for a good while until I reached my stop.  Now at my SIL and BIL’s place going over what I need to do for tomorrow
SIL is helping me improve my pitch and I think I may actually be able to knock this thing out of the park tomorrow.  Then it is the 4 o’clock train back home.  It sucks that I don’t get any time in the district on this trip, but if all goes well, I will be getting plenty of time up here.

11.30.17

What did you get out of a month of writing?
Mostly, I got a lot of stuff off my chest.  This was helpful because I don’t need to bottle all of that in me.  It also helped me work on my typing speed and just let me express thoughts that I didn’t think I could express in any other way.
I plan on keeping it up, even if I might not put in an entry everyday.  I enjoyed writing and am a little surprised that I didn’t forget a day (until today, but I was running around a lot).
In the end, I am happy that I stuck to it and was able to keep at it and make it through.
Until next time…

30

I’m finally plunking away at this last one late on the afternoon of the 30th.
It’s been an experience, but I’ve gotten through once again.
Seven years.
Looking back over what I’ve written, though, I’m not terribly upset about what I’ve brought out. Looking back, specifically, at 2012 was probably a good thing for me.
Today at work, I said something about the importance of having someone review my missives. I do sometimes write things that maybe aren’t immediate applicable. During a revision, however, I wonder how much I bury.
I really don’t do that, here. What you see is what you get.
And I got disrupted in writing this. First was this recruiter who looked me up in LinkedIn. It looks interesting. (How many companies do you see on Glassdoor with a 5.0 rating?)
Then a call from my patient advocate who I probably won’t be able to speak with after my health insurance changes next year.
So more changes ahead, probably. Whatever. Things are getting better. Are things as good as they were five years ago? Hard to say, really, but I’m excited.

11.29.17

As the year is coming to an end, any New Year’s resolution plans?
I have a few resolutions that I am going to try and accomplish in the new year.
First, I want to spend less money on frivolous things.  I love makeup, but I really need to use what I have and stop adding tons of products every time someone is having a sale.  I also need to stop buying groceries just because they look good, even though I have no idea how I am going to use them (although there are websites that will tell you what to make if you give them a list of ingredients).
Second, I want to stop caring so much about other people’s opinions of me.  If it is constructive, that is one thing, but constantly telling me that the things I like are stupid, lame, ugly, etc., it doesn’t help me improve myself and it doesn’t improve my view of you either.
Third, I actually want to be serious about getting healthier.  I know it is going to be hard to get to where I want to be and it is going to take time, so I need to work on changing bad habits and being impatient about results.  I have already made a few small changes (drinking more water and using my FitBit), just have to set a goal and create a plan to achieve it.
Fourth, start working in a career field for my degree.  I’m hoping the interview I talked about a few days ago is my path to this one, but if not, I will keep sticking to finding something where I want to be.  It will come, I have always been a late bloomer.
I think that is enough for now.  These may change but this is what I think at the moment.
Until tomorrow…
 
 

29

More from 2012.


NoJoMo Day 29 – 11/29/2012


Today, another exercise in frustration. But I’m finished for the day. Interesting episodes of people power-tripping. It is what it is.

1. List 5 people you know, then describe each of them in 5 words.

Perhaps a bit too personal to name names, here, so I won’t. Readers can figure out who these people are…. (And if people can’t figure out who the first one is, I just don’t know what to say…. OD-only hint: none of them is here.)

Person A

  • Smart
  • Beautiful
  • Passionate
  • Love
  • Mine

Person B

  • Smart
  • Food
  • Wine
  • Loyal
  • Closeted?

Person C

  • Clueless
  • Scatterbrained
  • Matronly
  • Faithful
  • Isolated

Person D

  • Uninformed
  • Caring
  • Opinionated
  • Kitties
  • Tired

Person E

  • Done
  • Knowing
  • Guarding
  • Collected
  • Deciding

2. If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you want to hav seen?

I’ve been kicking this one around for awhile, and am still not sure. First thing that came to mind? Oh, the huge manatee! Even in black and white, the Hindenberg was pretty spectacular.

Katrina? (Since there’s a Saints’ game tonight….) I’ve seen more storms than I’d ever like now, thank you very much. When I was nineteen, would have been a different story.

Mount St. Helens? I haven’t ever really seen a massive volcano. But, maybe in a few weeks, if the Mayans were right, that means the Yellowstone one is going to go off…..

It’s hard to pinpoint a single thing. Even moreso with my failing eyesight, and the realization that something that’s visually-spectacular often has lasting, widespread effects.

Who really saw what was going on during Watergate? Franz Ferdinand getting taken out (apologies if I sparked the earworm; only partially intentional)? Important, but only a small part of the whole story. 9/11? All over the TV when it happened, but the buildings and field were only parts to a larger story; a larger story you can’t see in a :30 clip on YouTube.


Just recycling one of the two prompts….
If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you want to have seen?
Woodrow Wilson’s machinations when it came to crafting the Treaty of Versailles.  What a long-lasting disaster of history.
The US Senate didn’t ratify it, which was probably, in retrospect, a very good thing.  If Wilson was as insidious as the most-recent progressive to hold the office, he would have just gone around the US process to get what he wanted.
I might could rap about this for pages, but today was another long day in another long week.  Today was getting my Tysabri infusion.  Tomorrow is going to be the dentist to get a tooth repaired.
I’m tired.
So tomorrow I’ll wrap up year seven.  Am I proud that I’ve done it?  Well, find out tomorrow.

11.28.17

What is a favorite hobby? 
Other than shopping for makeup, because you know every girl has to have 1,000,000 lipsticks.
Cooking.  I LOVE cooking!!  Being in the kitchen makes me happy.  I love browsing recipes, selecting ingredients, and making a complete dish.  The feel of the knife in my hand, the sizzle of the skillet, the aroma in the air as each flavor is developed.  Everything about cooking makes me happy (other than our overly sensitive smoke detector, that I have set off 3 or 4 times since we moved here less than a year ago).  I also really dislike a glass top stove when I have been used to gas.  You can’t blister on a glass top, it just won’t work.
I love trying new ingredients and recipes.  It is just very fun to change up from the regular course of food.  Before I met my spouse, I was very apprehensive to try new things.  Ask him about the time he took me to an Indian restaurant the first time and I was utterly appalled by the entree I ordered until I tasted it, then I was in love.  It was Saag Paneer, which if you don’t know is pureed spinach and farmer’s cheese.  It looks like wet lawnmower clippings, but it tastes absolutely delicious.  Thus began my love of Indian food.  So much so that the first time I saw Ghee in a store, I shrieked and my mother thought there was something very wrong with me.  Nope, just never thought I’d be able to find that in store.
I also have developed a serious love for the slow cooker.  Always thought they were just for old ladies.  Yeah, no, not even close.  I use mine a couple times a month and will probably use it more now that winter is coming.
I could go on and on, but I’m sure you will get bored after awhile.  So, here are some of the favorite recipes that I’ve tried thus far:

  • Coq Au Vin
  • Beouf Bourguignon
  • Chickpea Masala
  • Ratatouille
  • Cuban Sandwiches (the pork in this recipe is amazingly simple and DELICIOUS!!)
  • A lemon, butter white wine sauce that goes great with fish and potatoes
  • Spicy marinara

There are plenty more, but I’m going to make myself something to eat because I’ve made myself hungry 🙂
Until tomorrow…
 
 
 

28

Still touching from years ago, but I’ll skip whatever I wrote for NoJoMo back then. This bit was probably the first real signal that shit was about to turn really bad. How little I knew.


11/28/2012 – 11/28/2012


Pffft.

Made it in to the office today. Foaming disaster with some of the other business, but looks like I may be safe. For now.

On the bright side, I will get a pretty nice bonus this year after watching them dwindle away to nearly nothing the previous three.

Hospital still hasn’t gotten back to me about whether I need to come in to get re-leeched. I’m not sure if I wrote about that, but the doc called me on Thanksgiving, and said I still had problems, to take eight more horsepills.

I did. But I don’t remember if she said she wanted to re-check things. I mean, I was at my in-laws’ for Thanksgiving, ferrchrissakes! At the same time, it’s kind of cool to have young docs excited about dealing with somebody as fucked-up as I am, you know? Experiment.


Reaction and resampling that…..
And a prompt from my list: Do you have a fear that you want to overcome? What is it and do you have a plan to overcome it?
I feel like I’ve written this prompt previously, and I really don’t feel like answering it.  Obviously I’ve had a long list of things the past few years.
I do occasionally have a plan to overcome things, but, really, I tend to take things as they come.
*cut*
Yeah, and I’m repeating what I just said, so this isn’t something I can really devote a lot more to.  Things in life happen.  You can’t plan for everything.  How you respond to those things is, to me, key.
Lots today on Net Neutrality.  I am happy that the FCC is getting rid of rules it didn’t have the legislative authority to implement.  I’m also okay with network providers doing things against NN, like blocking Nazis.  Yes, I may have just Godwined myself, but, well, I like having the freedom to buy Intertubes that’d allow me to avoid content like that.
Or to put it more bluntly, for the Redditers, if you’re big on NN, you like giving theater for Nazis and Kiddie Pr0n.
Enough of that, and I’ve killed my motivation to write more.
The Giants benched Eli Manning, and the Norks fired an ICBM.  Both are signs of other issues.