Time

Never in my life did I ever think I would say this, but some days I actually miss subbing. Not that I loved having different kids every day and having to think of new strategies to keep them from walking all over me and tricking them into behaving, but man I miss getting out of work at 2! Somedays it was earlier, somedays it was later, but for the most part, I had a huge chunk of time every afternoon to get things done.

I love my current job, seriously, but I work 9 hour days so that I get every other Friday off. By the time I get home at 5:30 or 6, or sometimes 7 if I go to the gym, there's only time to make dinner, do dishes and maybe watch some tv. All of my crafty hobbies require some sort of materials to do, and usually by the time I have time to do them, it's already late in the evening and I don't want to make a mess. I love to scrapbook but I have a whole closet of stuff and assorted tools that need to come out, then I need to find my pictures and set up a table....too much effort for most evenings. I also like to paint but that takes time to get out my canvas and easel and figure out what I want to paint.  So I don't do that much either.

Workdays should go from 8-3 and everyone should get to go home. I know that would never work but I miss having all the extra daylight to have fun. Maybe next weekend I will find some fun scrapbooking time....

Don't forget....

....to check out my photography blog! Click here to see it!

Texas

Even though I am happy to be living in California again, there are actually a lot of things I miss about living in Texas. Here are the things I miss the most:

1. Our Friends and Game Nights
2. WCBC and our high school kids
3. Crawfish
4. New Orleans
5. Thunderstorms
6. Bright blue skies, lots of trees.
7. Wildlife
8. Cheaper gas
9. Lots of freeways to get where you're going.
10. Sweet Tea
11. Chick-fil-a
12. San Antonio
13. Blue Bell Ice Cream
14. Gas Discount for grocery shopping at Kroger
15. Lake surfing with the Finleys
16. Dr. Pepper in every restaurant
17. Buffalo Wild Wings
18. Astros Games
19. Hobby Lobby
20. The Woodlands Mall
21. Squirrels in my backyard
22. Our House in Conroe
23. Lilo
24. The cheaper cost of living
25. Pizza Shack in Willis and Guigliani's in Spring

How I Met...My New Favorite Show!

Since May of 2004 there has been a void in my life; a void that has never quite been filled. Oh sure there were substitutions, but nothing quite lived up to the original. 2004 was the year the last new Friends episode ran on tv; Friends had been my favorite show for all of my college years and especially since grad school. I started watching it back in its first year, 1994, but as an 8th grader, trying to follow the adult undertones were a little much for me. So I picked it up again at the end of high school and watched until that fatefull day in May when I would have to say goodbye to my FRIENDS.

About a month ago I was over at Kevin and Brenda's house and they had me watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother. They had been talking about it for a while so I wanted to see what the big deal was. All I have to say, is that they were right! Now Lee and I are addicted, we just bought both seasons on DVD and after we watched all of Season 1 with our friends, we watched it all over again on the way back from Oregon with my brother and sister-in-law. Who, by the way, now like it too. I finally have my FRIENDS void filled with another great comedy with awesome characters that have just the right combination of saracasm and emotion and plot lines that are le-gen-DARY. :) The writers do a great job of sucking you into the story so you just can't wait to see what happens next.

So tonight, this weekend, whenever, do yourself a favor and go rent (or buy!) Season 1 of How I Met Your Mother. Then come back here and thank me for your new favorite show!

One Word

Where is your cell phone? puuse
Your spouse? working
Your hair? long
Your mother? talkative
Your father? happy
Your favorite thing? photography
Your dream last night? crazy
Your favorite drink? coffee
Your dream/goal? triathalon
The room you're in? office
Your hobby? photography
Your fear? change
Where do you want to be in 6 years? colorado
Where were you last night? movies
What you're not? hyper
Muffins? cranberry
One of your wish list items? jeep
Where you grew up? california
What are you wearing? heels
Your pets? hilarious
Your computer? mac
Your life? unknown
Your mood? caffeinated
Missing someone? friends
Your car? cobalt
Something you're not wearing? earrings
Favorite store? Target
Your summer? HOT
Your favorite color? blue
When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
Last time you cried? days

Copy this and try it... using one word is harder than you think!

Photography Blog!

Okay, if you know me at all you know I LOVE to take pictures! I know I've annoyed almost all my friends at one point with my picture taking. Sorry, but you know you love it later when you have pictures of everything we've done together. Since I'm trying to get a photography side business started, I started my own website, http://www.morethanamemoryphotography.com/ and now started a blog for my photo stuff! You can click on my "About Me" on the side of my page to find the blog, or just go directly to http://www.mtamphotography.blogspot.com/. Please check it out and leave some comments!!!

To see a bunch of photos and some of my art (painting, drawing, etc) please visit my other website, http://www.morethanamemory.deviantart.com/

Have a great day!!! :)

When I Grow Up...Wait I Already Did!!!

A few days ago a friend sent me a piece of flair on Facebook that said, "We're Adults! When did this happen and how do I make it stop?" Seriously?! I am an adult, what happened? One minute I was a teenager, rollerblading around Wasco with Niki, Deanna and Stephanie, the next minute, I'm 27, married with a house and full time job, with my 10 year high school reunion quickly approaching. We don't have kids yet, just dogs, but as my 30th birthday creeps ever-closer I can't help but wonder how fast the next 30 years are going to fly by?!

I don't regret being an adult, I mean there are a ton of awesome things about being able to make my own decisions, drive, earn a real salary, pursue my dreams, decorate a house the way I want to, be a part of a marriage (which is a whole separate category of adulthood altogether!), and the list goes on and on.

Sometimes though, it would be nice to be able to go back and spend a couple weeks or whatever in a different age, maybe back in high school, during the summer and lifeguarding with my best friends, or preschool where we still got to color and have snack time. :)

On the other hand, it kind of stinks being 27 and feeling like you should have to be act like a grown up all the time. So what if I want to wear socks with frogs on them or have a fun custom license plate? And I'll admit that I still have three stuffed animals in my adult house that occassionally accompany me for a nap!

I know fun grown-up times are still ahead, and I will enjoy watching my kids make their own memories, but it's just not quite the same. I'll continue growing up, because I have to, because I'm supposed to, and it's inevitable. But I will probably always wear fun socks and act like the occasional ditzy teenager.

"Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up, these are the best days of our lives....." - The Ataris

Zoey

My last post in May was about my new puppy - I didn't have her yet but now she's 11 weeks old! Her name is Zoey and she's a Golden Retriever. She's so sweet and has a great temperament, but a she's little mischievous and stubborn at times. Aren't all puppies? We thought she was born potty trained because the first two days at home she was telling us when she needed to go outside by standing at the back door and barking. Well that turned out to be too good to be true. She peed whenever, wherever, the next few days until we learned to recognize her signs. Now she rarely has an accident in the house, except if we're not paying attention or occasionally a visitor will excite her so much (Kevin!) she spray-pees. Hopefully she'll grow out of that.

As far as your stereotypical Golden goes, I think we're doing a pretty good job of controlling the usual antics. Normally they're chewers and diggers, both which Zoey loves to do, but we've gotten her so many toys and bones, she's easily distracted from whatever she isn't supposed to chew. She's dug a couple holes, but I just fill them with her poo and she's discouraged. She does love to run and roll in the mud, yuck, and she has to pick up EVERYTHING on the floor with her mouth. Including hangers, dryer sheets and even my engagement ring, which spent a night in her belly and then showed up via a pile of puke on the floor the next day. At least I got it back.

In spite of her little bad habits, I love her and I think she will be a great dog. Her and Rachel get along great. Here are a few more pictures of them both:

On the first day they met. :)

Proof that even dogs take bad pictures!

Employed and getting artsy...

As you may have noticed, the title of my blog has recently changed - I am no longer unemployed! Since Wednesday, May 21st I have been working as a Marketing Assistant for Processes Unlimited International - an engineering company here in Bakersfield. While engineering doesn't interest me all that much, I love the people I work with and the company seems to treat the employees extremely well. We get 4 wks paid vacation, Profit Sharing (aka quarterly bonuses), we work a 9/80 schedule so we get every other Friday off and each "Team" (I'm on the Marketing Team) gets a shirt and gets to go on fun trips outside work, like white water rafting.

In other news, I'm getting involved in the local art community here, I have participated in two group shows and have a bunch more coming up this summer. At my first show, I was one of the only three artists that sold something out of 15 participants. This is the photograph that was purchased:

My second show was this past Friday, downtown in the Arts District. We set up along the sidewalks on two blocks and there was also food and music and lots of great art. I didn't sell anything this time, but had great interest from a gallery we were in front of. My friend Nyoka set up next to me and she had a lot of people interested in commissioning portraits from her. You can check out some of her stuff at deviantART - she's pretty amazing. I also have a deviantART site, you should check it out here!

I'll keep posting about future art shows here and on my myspace website. Hopefully I'll have some paintings ready for the next show in July, I've spent so much time on photography the past few years, my painting has really taken a backseat, but I'm getting back into it!

Puppy Time!!!

I'm getting a new puppy! My golden girl comes home next week on Mother's Day. I picked her out on Wednesday and can't wait to bring her home. I know puppies can be a pain, barking, whining, potty training, but it will all be worth it for puppy kisses and treats and in the end, a great dog for us and a friend for Rachel.  She is a golden retriever and adorable! I don't have pictures of just her yet, but here are some of her family, she's in there somewhere, one of the lighter golden girls.  Any puppy training suggestions, comments, and name ideas are welcome!

Rejected and Accepted

I didn't get the Bolthouse job I wanted. I really really really wanted it but it was not meant to be I guess. I was one of the top two candidates out of 50 so I should at least feel good about that. I am going to take some graphic design classes at Bakersfield College because I seem to always miss out on jobs when it comes to the technical side of designing, ie. direct printing, etc. So I want to prevent that in the future and learn as much as I can. As much as I hate to admit this, I should have listened to my mom when she told me before college that I should be a graphic designer and get a degree in it. I'm sure it would've been a lot more helpful than just trying to do it on my own. Although, I've done pretty well considering I had no training in it.  

I did get an offer to be an executive assistant at an advertising agency here in town, they called me today and offered the job. I would be the assistant, answering phones, filing, true, but I also get to learn all about advertising and the jobs that go with it, help with some designing and do some writing as well.  It doesn't pay that great to start, but she decided it will be full time instead of part time, right of the bat, and there's a 90 trial and then review period. So if I don't like it, I can find something else, no hard feelings.

Anyway, I'm pretty bummed about Bolthouse but I know there's something out there for me!

Jobs Update

So I am a "finalist" in the Bolthouse job. They are trying to decide between me and one other guy, and both of us have to make a design and send it in by tomorrow at 5 pm. The design is supposed to help them decide. They already told me that the other candidates they were interviewing had more experience than I do, but they liked me and where I worked, and the VP had told me I'd be perfect for the job. So the other guy will probably do better on the design than I will. This really is just up to God now and where he wants me, I guess it always has been but I just have to do my best and hope that is where he wants me.

My advertising job looks like it's going to come through as well, but the pay is pretty crappy and it's only part time until June. After that it's full time but I still will be making less than I made in Texas which just doesn't seem right considering my skills fit perfectly with this job, plus some. Subbing is done in June anyway and I could sub in the meantime and on days off but is it worth it?

In other news, my photography is going to be displayed at an art gallery here in town! I get to pick my pieces and prices and they will display/sell them. I am also joining the art association and will be in a few contests this year, painting and photography - I'll start posting some work here.

Lastly, two of my articles will be published in the May edition of Kern Business and Bakersfield Life Magazine, I worked hard on them and they turned out pretty good, in my opinion. I did some of the photos too and was already offered another assignment for June!

So even though the full-time job front is looking bleak, and my husband gets more irritated as each day goes by that we can't buy a house, I guess there are some things that are worth getting excited about!

Waiting

I really hate waiting. I consider myself to be a pretty patient person and usually when it comes to jobs I am pretty patient as well. However, I still have not heard from Bolthouse about that job I really want. They said not to freak out if I don't hear back right away, that someone in the decision process was going to be out of town all last week, but to send an email on Friday letting them know i still haven't heard. Well I did that and it's Monday and I still haven't heard a thing. Tomorrow I have another interview with the advertising company and I'm pretty sure she's going to offer me the job. I can't say no because if the Bolthouse thing doesn't work out, then I need something to fall back. I can't say yes because Bolthouse may call me any day.  I already emailed Bolthouse, is it too annoying for me to call too if I haven't heard anything by the end of the day??? I really want to know.

3 Things About Stacey

Three jobs I have had in my life:
1. lifeguard
2. holiday window painter
3. camp counselor

Three movies I would watch over and over:
1. you've got mail
2. while you were sleeping
3. music and lyrics

Three places I have lived:
1. conroe, tx
2. Newport Beach, CA
3. Preston Park, PA

Three shows that I watch:
1. American Idol
2. Friends
3. The Office

Three Places I have Been to:
1. Germany
2. Austria
3. New York

Three people who e-mail me regularly:
1. Mary Ann
2. Dad
3. ebay

Three places I’d rather be right now:
1. at the beach
2. sleeping in my bed
3. swimming in a pool

Three friends I think will respond:
1. you
2. you

3. you

Three things I am looking forward to this year:
1. swimming again

2. getting a job (it has to happen sometime!)
3. going to oregon

A Busy Life

Lately I've discovered that I've become very busy. I have been applying for jobs like crazy and finally have been hearing back from some of them. First I'd applied to be an editor of special publications for The Bakersfield Californian, but I apparently didn't have enough professional experience. They did like my writing so I am now a freelance writer/photographer for the Bakersfield Life Magazine and Kern Business magazine, my first two articles come out next month. I'll be sure to post links to them.

Then I applied to do part time graphics for Saba Ad Agency in Bakersfield, but that one I didn't get either. They said I was in the top three but they went with someone else. I also applied to be an admin assistant for another agency here in town, Heise Media Group, and have basically been offered the job. I would be the admin. asst. but also learn a ton about the advertising business, with opportunity for advancement. The only catch is that it is part time to start. I don't know the pay or how part time, 3 hrs a week or 20. It will probably be full time eventually, but that's up in the air too.

I'm also waiting to hear back from Bolthouse Farms. where I applied to be a product design person (graphics) for their food products which are mainly carrots and juices, but it would be cool to have my design featured on national products and they offer great benefits. Finally, the Californian wants a full time graphic designer for a project that will end in June and I'm waiting to hear back from them as well.

In the meantime, this week I've been subbing for 7th grade math and working on my two articles, due Friday. As soon as I finish subbing today and tomorrow I have to hurry back to Bakersfield (I sub in Wasco) to visit some art museums and artists and take some pictures. I have all my notes and info for the most part, I just have to actually do the writing.

To add to my busy schedule, I am a bridesmaid/co-maid of honor in the wedding of one of my best friends. I am really excited because the only other wedding I've really been involved in was my own. But that means a few busy weeks coming up, I helped plan one shower, attended a second and I am planning the third, which is also this weekend. Then I'm helping plan and coordinate the bachelorette party for the following weekend. The wedding is two weeks after that, in Templeton, CA.

Whew. So there's all the stuff I'm doing in the next few weeks. For someone who is unemployed at the moment, I sure have a lot to keep me busy.

The Ultimate Gift

My mom bought this movie for me a few months back, I guess more than a few months since she mailed it to me in Texas. I just watched it, as I've been working on the two articles I'm writing for the Bakersfield Life magazine and Kern Business Magazine, multitasking helps me think. 

A brief synopsis:

"When his wealthy grandfathers dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens inherits his grandfather's crash course on life: 12 tasks - or gifts - designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways. The "course" sends Jason on a journey of self-discovery that forces him to reevaluate his priorities and determine what he thinks the most important things in life really are."

Anyway, I popped it in, figuring I better watch it while I'm home alone because my husband doesn't really like these types of "feel good" movies because he thinks they are "predictable" and "boring."  Okay it is somewhat predictable, but still if you can get past that, the acting is decent (better in some parts than in others), the cast is likable and it really does make you think about what's important.   Go rent it!!

Randomness

1. What is your occupation? unemployed right now but journalist/graphic artist
2. What color are your socks right now? white and pink, just got back from softball
3. What are you listening to right now? the fan clicking annoyingly
4. What was the last thing you had to eat? scrambled eggs
5. Can you drive a stick shift? yep, i do everyday
6. What color would you be if you were a color? red
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? brenda
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? sure do!
9. How old are you today? 27
10. Favorite drink? cherry coke zero
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? swimming, softball, beach volleyball
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? yes and i need to do it again
13. Pets? rachel the dog
14. Favorite food? anything italian
15. Last movie you watched at a movie theater? 21 - awesome movie!!!!
16. What do you do to vent anger? i keep it inside and then i usually end up yelling and kicking something eventually
17. What was your favorite toy as a child? my little ponies or anything horse related
18. Cherry or Blueberry? blueberry
19. What is your favorite fall or spring? i love fall colors!
20. Do you want your friends to email you back? or post on their blog... yes!
21. Who is most likely to respond? ha! no one since bethany already did it and no one else i know has a blog
22. Who is least likely to respond? everyone
23. When was the last time you cried? today briefly reading something sad
26. Favorite smell? the ocean
27. Plain cheese or spicy hamburgers? spicy!
28. Favorite cat breed? none i hate cats
29. Number of keys on your key ring? about 10
30. How many years at your current job? 0
31. Favorite day of the week? Friday
32. How many states have you lived in? Three - CA, TX, and PA (for 2 mths but i had an address there so I'm counting it).

Gen. Abbrv.

I blame text messaging. Before text messaging people spoke in full sentences and only abbreviated things that were supposed to be shortened, like street signs. Now, everything is abbreviated or combining two words into a made up word. And I'm all for texting, don't get me wrong, but somewhere we need to draw a line. It's gotten to the point where kids in my classes are writing, "IDK" for "i don't know" on answers. How much worse can it get?

I think the first time I started noticing it was with celebrities, starting with J. Lo and then Bennifer. Then we had Brangelina and KFed and I've actually heard Jessica Simpson referred to as J. Simp and her sister referred to as A.Simp.  Seriously??? 

Recently, stores and companies have started doing this. Ie. Pacific Sunwear went to Pac Sun and Dairy Queen went to DQ. I noticed the other day watching a National Geographic show that they are now calling it "Nat Geo." And Tuesday on American Idol (which by the way, they should start calling it Propaganda Idol, but that's another blog entirely!) Randy Jackson said he liked how one of the contestants got into the "false".  Is falsetto really that long of a word???

Alright, I'm off my soapbox. But tell me I'm not the only one that's going crazy by our generation of abbreviation??? 

Camping

Oh how I love to camp! 

Last weekend  we went on our first official beach trip since coming back to California.  We were going to stay in a hotel, but since our last trip the prices have jumped through the roof for a decent hotel room so we decided to check out campsites we've stayed at in the past. The Oceano Campground is right near the entrance to the dunes but out of the wind and sand, and for $20 a night, what a deal! 

We arrived around 5:30 PM, just in time to set up our new awesome tent while 

it was still light outside. It can sleep 8 people and is 7 feet tall inside so normal sized people can stand up too, not just me. There were more poles than I'd ever seen for a tent, you would've thought someone was trying to create a giant poking device! We actually had to read the instructions and then set it up, something Lee's not used to doing.  It didn't take too long and pretty soon Chateau de Payne was open for business! We got a few strange looks from people around us setting it up, for all they knew it was just the two of us. We were expecting three more people that night.

Camp was set up right next to a pretty little river with baby duckies swimming in it. As pretty as it was, it brought mosquitoes. Everyone in Texas knows how much mosquitoes love me - at least they did in Texas. I got bit once (on my face!) but then they left me alone and went after our friend Kevin.

But camping in general is great. I love smelling all the stuff people are cooking around you, catching bits and pieces of funny conversation, being amused at the tent set-up virgins that arrive at 10PM to set up their tent with two tiny flashlights and hearing all the wildlife around you and trying to figure out what creature the glowing eyes hiding in the bush belong to.

Yeah the bugs are a little annoying and for some reason we never bring an air mattress that doesn't have a leak so we end up on the ground in the morning, but it's worth it for the fun times with friends and S'Mores around the campfire! Oh, and the gaggle of geese that came to visit in the morning were hilarious! Plus, having a 60 second walk to the ocean is always a plus!

 

Tagged By Bethany

So I considered myself tagged when Bethany did this cause I'm new too and wanted to fill it out. Here ya go!

5 Random Things:

1. I read magazines backwards. Don't know why, but I've always done this. I read the articles front to back but I start at the end of the magazine. 

2. I have an obsession with buying CDs and coffee. I'm getting better but those are my two weaknesses.

3. Sometimes I buy CDs I've never heard of based on the cover art and song titles. Most of the time I've been successful, a short list of bands I found this way: Taylor Swift, Hoobastank, John Mayer, Michelle Branch, Dashboard Confessional, A Fine Frenzy - to name a few.

4. It really bugs me when people drive convertibles with the top down and windows up. It kind of defeats the purpose for me. 

5. I was almost a gymnast instead of a swimmer. When I was younger I could do flips and back hand springs and all kinds of other gymnastic feats, and I was fearless. However, I was very tall for my age as a kid and my mom thought I would be way too tall to invest all kinds of money in gymnastics when good ones are little. So I stuck to swimming. Little did she know that I would be stuck at 5'3"

5 Places To Go To/Return To

1. Australia/New Zealand - I love the accents and the beaches. Never been.

2. Hawaii or The Caribbean - I am an ocean girl, I love to see it, swim in it, and hang out on the beaches.

3. Ireland - I am Irish, and it looks like an awesome place to visit.

4. New Orleans - Aside from the pee smell from a lot of the streets, I loved this city and the history and the cool artsy vibe. Loved Jackson Square.

5. Seattle - Most of my money goes to Starbucks, I want to see the original. Plus it has a huge music history, I'd like to see it.

A Penny for God's Thoughts....

Every time I move somewhere I obviously need to start looking for a job. Sometimes it has been pretty easy and others it has taken FOREVER. When Lee and I moved to Texas, I didn't get a full time job until almost a year after we moved there. American Eagle Outfitters doesn't count - it was fun but didn't exactly pay the bills. 

Now that we've moved back to California, it is deja vu. While I do have more connections here, so far they haven't seemed to help me a bit. I know it says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future," but sometimes I would love to be able to see this future and understand his plan when job hunting is so frustrating. I come across jobs I would love to do, that would be perfect for me, and I am told otherwise. Most of them want more experience in a particular area, but how do I gain experience if no one will ever give me a chance to do that? 

What is even more annoying than not getting a job, is when the employer leaves me hanging. The first job I applied for here was a producer for a local tv/news station. The interview went well, I had a ton of writing experience, which the job required, and she said she'd call me. Well a week went by, no phone call. I emailed her again to see if maybe she never got the samples I sent after the interview. No response. I called her, no response. What is wrong with people today? I know businesses are probably too busy to call all the people back who they don't want to hire, but seriously! If you say you are going to do something, at least follow through! I don't care if you don't want to hire me, just have the decency to call me back and let me know either way if that's what you say you are going to do!

For the past month I have been subbing while I wait for something else to come along. I thought it would be fun since I usually like working with kids but so far I have only had one bad class after another.  Supposedly it is good money but I'll let you know when I finally get my first check. I started in the end of Jan. and still haven't gotten a paycheck! Does anyone know why teachers only get paid once a month? That's so weird to me.

 I didn't mean to rant, I just wish I could better understand God's timing and thinking. I know he has some job out there for me but why does it have to take so long for him to show what it is?