Wednesday, December 28, 2005
the annual survey1.What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before? Signed a lease for an apartment, sold stuff on eBay, held two jobs at once, got pulled over for speeding (but no ticket!), lived with a boyfriend, went out dancing at a club (if you'd call it that), maxed out a credit card, went to a concert for a band whose CDs I actually owned...
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions and will you make more for next year? I don't think I made a New Year's Resolution last year. But I've got a couple good ones in mind for this year.
3. What countries did you visit? It doesn't really count as "visiting" if you live there, does it?
4. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005? a sense of direction and/or purpose. And maybe a more hi-tech digital camera.
5. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Well, there's a lot of dates I can remember from this year right now, but I don't know if I'll continue remembering them. One I'll probably never forget is the weekend of July 23, my brother and I moved into our apartment. Also September 30 - The White Stripes concert. Best concert EVER.
6. What was your biggest achievement of the year? See #5. I don't feel like I did a whole lot of achieving.
7. What was your biggest failure? Budgeting. And getting a B in one of my bio classes (though I blame it on the teacher, at least partially).
8. Did you suffer illness or injury? A UTI in the spring and the flu on Christmas Eve.
9. Whose behavior merited celebration? Probably Dan's, for quitting the dead-end job he had, getting a new one (55 hours a week [nights] and never [hardly ever] complaining about it [or anything, really...]) in order to pay his bills. Also my dad, for being surprisingly helpful when I moved out and for coming to fix my car for me on more than one occasion and never being grumpy about it.
10. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The girl with the highly-contagious flu who went out Christmas shopping anyway, came through my line at Old Navy on December 23rd, and unknowingly ruined all of my plans for the 24th.
11. Where did most of your money go? Clothes. *hangs head in shame.* Well, and rent.
12. What song will always remind you of 2005? Probably most of the White Stripes album "Get Behind Me Satan." And the stuff in my club mix that I listened to all summer and fall. Which reminds me, I still need to make my annual "fast," "random," and "slow" mixes for this year...
13. Compared to last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Um...somewhere in between. I've felt lonely a lot more this year than I have in a long time.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. I've lost about 5-10 pounds since summer. Not sure why.
iii. richer or poorer? When you include my credit card debt, I'm gonna go with poorer. But I'm working on that.
14. What do you wish you'd done more of? Saving money.
15. What do you wish you'd done less of? Spending money.
16. How did you spend Christmas? Ill. Well, Christmas day I wasn't too bad. I opened my presents from Anna and Dan, then he and I went to my grandma's for Christmas dinner, then to my mom's for the presents I'd missed opening Christmas Eve. Then to my dad's for more presents.
17. Did you fall in love in 2005? Yes, I suppose I did.
18. What was your favorite TV program? Hm. That's a good question. Pretty much the only time we turn on the TV around here is to watch a movie or play video games. I watched "The Price is Right" a couple times though, and I really like Ellen's talk show.
19. What was the best book you read? Uh...I enjoyed the new Harry Potter book. Oh, and "Someone Like You" by Sarah Dessen. I loved that one.
20. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2005? Marilyn Manson? I know he's been around for awhile, and I'm not really crazy about him, but his Greatest Hits disc has some good songs. Oh yes, and The Scissor Sisters. That was very early this year; I almost forgot.
21. What did you want and get? The apartment I'm currently sitting in. And a papasan chair (I finally know what they're called!). Oh yeah, and some cool new friends.
22. What did you want and not get? You know, I really can't think of too many things I want right now. How often does that happen? Seriously.
23. What was your favorite film of this year? Film that came out this year or that I saw this year? I like "Ray" and "The Legend of Zorro"...the new Harry Potter movie was decent too, though I was disappointed with all the details from the book that they cut out.
24. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 19. On my actual birthday Dan and I visited my mom then went to the Red Eye with Jeff and some others. The next day we got a group of people together, dressed up and went to the mall then to The Panda House for dinner.
25. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Taking a trip somewhere. I've gone out of state every summer since forever, and I didn't leave MI this year at all. Sorta disappointing.
26. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? Expensive.
27. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Uh...I bought a poster of Johnny Depp...
28. Who was the best new person you met? Adam Atom, BenS, Lisa, Noah, and Veresh (in alphabetical order).
29. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005: You can't expect someone to come up with a solution if they don't even know there's a problem. Especially in terms of relationships. And don't jump to conclusions, because they're usually wrong.
30. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "...and I guess that's why they call it the blues, time on my hands could be time spent with you..."
Posted by Rachel at 10:04 PM |
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Well, I guess one good thing in not being so excited for Christmas this year, I wasn't so sad to see the tree come down, either. Especially since I actually had to take it down myself...
Posted by Rachel at 4:05 PM |
Thursday, December 22, 2005
So while people are making mention of it (tis the season, after all), here's my take on the "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" thing.
Say "Merry Christmas" all you want. Put it in commercials, movies, ads, say it in greeting. Because the vast majority of America celebrates Christmas (why else would December be a retail worker's nightmare? Though I must agree with those who say that Christmas has become far too commercialized. But that's a whole different rant).
I'm sure that there are Americans who celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or some other holiday that doesn't get as much recognition. But I personally don't know anyone who celebrates either one (if you do, let me know, I'd love to learn more about both holidays). To me, this idea of "freedom of religion" is not, "don't say Merry Christmas, you might offend someone who doesn't celebrate it." And it's
definitely not, "don't pray/talk about God in schools, you might offend someone who doesn't believe in God." Cuz, guess what, America was founded on a belief in God (does "In God We Trust" ring a bell? Take a look at a dollar bill. If I'm not mistaken, you'll find this phrase on all of our forms of currency). "
Freedom of religion" means
just that: you can FREELY practice your own religion,
whatever it may be (aside from making human sacrifices and anything else so extreme) without being persecuted or living in fear of persecution. It means that if you don't want to pray in school, or celebrate Christmas, then you have EVERY right not to. But the rule applies to everyone. If someone wants to pray in school, then they should have every right to. You don't have to listen, and you don't have to pray with them. But freedom of religion does not mean that we should have to silence/suppress the majority for the sake of the minority.
And for that matter, do people who don't celebrate Christmas really get offended if someone tells them, "Merry Christmas"? If someone came up to me and said, "Happy Hanakkuh," I wouldn't get offended. Especially if I were in a country where the vast majority of the people were Jewish. Because the good intent of the phrase is still the same, even if the exact meanings are not.
I think it's a very kind gesture to say "happy holidays" in order to include everyone in your greeting. And I'm not in any way saying that we should exclude/ignore the minority. But so far any one of the people I've encountered at work who's ever wished me some sort of holiday greeting have said "Merry Christmas." And yes, I celebrate Christmas. But that doesn't mean I want anyone to stop everyone else from freely celebrating their own holidays. And if in their celebration, they'd like to tell the world, "Happy Kwanzaa!" then so be it. Even if I don't celebrate it myself. After all, isn't diversity supposed to be one of the things that makes America so great?
Posted by Rachel at 12:09 AM |
Saturday, December 17, 2005
This is my attempt at a happy christmas template (yes, the only thing different is the picture). I'd go all out like
Rachel II but I don't have the energy or the motivation. So instead I sit here, eating chocolate-covered raisins (from a big jar that I got at Linens and Things - who knew they sold candy?) and try to think of something I can type that might interest people.
I've got most of my Christmas shopping done. Actually, I could say I have all of it done, if I made a couple alterations on my list of what to get for whom. Namely my grandparents. Is it bad if I don't get my grandparents anything? I suppose it is since they've gotten me something every year since I was born. But if I buy for one set that means I have to buy for the other, and I have no idea what to get for the other.
I haven't really been getting into the "Christmas spirit" this year. I mean, I went out and bought people presents, but I guess I'm just kind of going through the routine. I don't really feel all that excited. Maybe it's because no one else I live with really seems to care. That and I work in retail...dealing with cranky last-minute shoppers can put a damper on things. Though they aren't
all grouchy.
Or maybe it's just because I'm growing up. Sigh...
One thing I am kind of excited for though is
Jeff's New Year's Eve party. Hopefully it shall be good times.
I need to clean my room. Then I'm going to bed.
Posted by Rachel at 11:44 PM |
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
So I received the joy of working my first "double shift" this week, and I'm in the process of completing number two. I started tutoring at the middle school this week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) from 8am-2pm, and wouldn't you know, it's the week Old Navy decides to give me mundo hours. The only days I'm not scheduled there are Tuesday and Thursday because of school. So Monday I worked 8 to 2 then 415 to 11pm. Talk about a long day. Though it wasn't so terrible because the tutoring job isn't that strenuous. Even though I have no freaking clue what type of routine I'm supposed to be following. The one supervisor failed to mention that there's a specific group of kids that I'm supposed to be working with, and the other supervisor has been MIA both days I've been there. I think in some ways Ryan succeeded in confusing me more, though he's helped me quite a bit as well.
But enough about that. In two weeks I'll be rich. So rich, in fact, that I can spend this week's slightly meager paycheck as frivolously as I want to because I'll have enough to pay rent plus other bills then.
Okay, enough of that. Back to work I go.
Posted by Rachel at 7:50 PM |
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Yesterday was a very long day. In fact, this whole week has been kind of long. But yesterday especially.
I was up early for a 10am interview at a middle school in Old Town for a tutoring position (for which Jeff accompanied me, as he had an interview also). We were both hired on the spot, which led to a trip to a Human Resources department (which I'm going to have to try and find again, as I was retarded enough to forget my social security card) to fill out more paperwork and obtain a form to go get a physical.
We made it out of there at about 12:15, at which time I came home then Dan and I went shopping (this time for him, though I did buy a pair of pants from Kohl's that I'd been eyeing last time I was there). We went to the mall and had lunch, then came home so he could go to work.
Then, I went to get the Jeff again and we went to get our physicals done at Covenant (trying to find the right building out there was a trip, geez). I got out of there just in time to bring Jeff home, stop and pick up something to eat, and go to work 530-10. After THAT I went and met one of my friends from SVSU (whom I happened to meet on myspace [go myspace, even if you are gay]) til about 1245am. Then I got gas and went home.
So you can probably imagine my excitement when Old Navy called me at 815 this morning and said they were cutting hours for today, and would I like to have the day off? (I was scheduled 1030-5). It didn't take much to convince me to say yes.
The only downside is that Dan has to work today, 4pm-midnight, so if anyone would like the pleasure of my company this evening, lemme know (I know Jeff has previously offered).
Posted by Rachel at 11:53 AM |
