B-E-A-UUUtiful

I decided to find a quote to get me through the day today and came across a nice, supposedly Irish, saying: "Many a sudden change takes place on an unlikely day." For some reason, it seemed to fit what I was hoping would happen today.  

The job I have is ok; it's sort of giving me the money to pay bills and my co-workers aren't too bad. My hours completely suck though, working a full-time job getting about 32 hours a week wasn't what I had in mind...I was working that many hours at my part-time jobs in high school and college.  Basically due to that reason, I've started job searching again. I keep thinking to myself "Why did I waste my time going to college for four years when I can't even land a job that requires a degree?" It's what I grew up being told I was supposed to do, so I did it. And now look at me, complaining about jobs on my blog...pathetic.

Anyway, it surprised me yesterday afternoon when I received an email asking for an interview after I sent my resume just a few hours before. I needed that quote to hope that by some miracle, things were going to work out today. I'm not usually a pessimist, but I haven't been all that optimistic lately.

With my luck, (I knew it was bad...I didn't even win the famous mega millions this morning), I went to the interview, arrived early and everything, just to find out it was being held at a Temp agency. Bum to the errrr. The entire "interview" was finished 6 minutes after it was supposed to start and I was on my way. All they wanted to do was tell me how to fix my resume, what tests I needed to take...oh! and that the job I was applying for had been filled by a girl the day before I sent my resume...grrrrr.

So what was I supposed to do now? Usually, I go home and eat chocolate until I feel so fat that I hate myself for not working out and eating better like I should. But I didn't do that today. I drove back towards home and walked into another business to see if they were hiring. They were, but of course I needed a certification to work there. A second strike!  Still in my interview clothes, I decided for try number 3: I drove across the street to another business and asked if they were hiring...they were! I had to go online (because who takes paper resumes in person anymore?) and find the position I wanted to apply for, then email my resume. 

For some reason, even though I know that isn't guaranteed a job, I felt better after that. Maybe it was because my stomach wasn't filled of horrible yummness, or that I didn't give up after the interview and got more use out of my uncomfortable suit, but I felt like something had happened. I kept trekking on and realized that just because I can't get jobs as easy as I could when they were part-time jobs B.C. (before college), doesn't mean I should stop and wallow in self-pity after each failed interview.

I hope all of you remember that as well. Whether it's looking for a job, a place to live, a car, a significant other, a school...whatever, just be yourself and don't give up. There's something out there for you, but you have to find it. It's not going to fall from the sky into your lap one day...though I do have my speculations seeing as how only 2 people won the entire lottery (jeeze!).  Anyway, keep on trekkin'! Life is, as Jim Carey would say, "B-E-A-uuutiful!"

Till next time
KNG :)

"B" Assertive

I have come to realize I've been complaining a LOT lately-- obviously not here ha, it's been a while. Every day I've been exploring my mind trying to figure out why I'm not absolutely happy with everything I have in my life. I defeated college by graduating with a Bachelor's degree, in exactly four years: a huge goal of mine! I have family that loves me, a man who loves me enough to, for some strange reason, want to marry me (he's reading this hehe). I have a full time job with benefits, even though the hours are not ideal (most of my complaining). I actually have the chance to become an aunt, which I never thought would be possible after I lost my sister, to my fiance's sister's children (second one is gonna be here tomorrow!).

So, with all of that, what in the hell is wrong with me? Do I need a vacation? Yes, but who doesn't? I'm beginning to think that even though I thought any voids inside of me had been filled, that maybe there's still something missing. It's not anyone's fault, and no one is not enough for me because honestly the people in my life are there for a reason...because I want them to be!

There are two events in the last 3 days that have started to give me a different perspective on my life and have helped me to start figuring out what it is I need so desperately. The first one happened at the end of my shift Monday night.

An emergency came in at about 30 minutes before we were supposed to close the hospital. Now before I begin this story, I have to say I'm not a cat person...at all! Good lord, I have such bad luck with cats that one bit me at work and I had to go to the doctor for 2 shots (I hate needles). Anyway, a woman brought a cat into the hospital. It was barely moving, more swimming in the air. I followed procedures and immediately brought the poor thing to the back of the hospital while the woman checked in. As I watched the doctor check the pet's vital signs, I had an overwhelming feeling rush over me. At first I was intrigued, I had not been in the back of the hospital during an emergency yet. After the doctor checked over the cat, I lifted it up in its creme colored towel and held it like a baby. As I looked down at the wound on its head and saw how helpless it was, I couldn't help but imagine what happened to it. The cat was still trying to fight with the last bit it had left in it to fight, but it had been declawed and couldn't scratch me.

I held the cat close to my body, feeling every agonizing breath it took. When the decision came that the cat couldn't be saved, I was secretly devastated. I held the cat close before I put it in one of the kennels as instructed by the doctor. When I closed the door the cat went ballistic fighting to get away. I felt my heart sink down to my stomach. The coward in me left the room as quickly as I could to leave at the end of my shift. I drove home thinking about the cat and how horrible it felt not to be able to do anything to help it.   For some reason that sparked the first idea I came up with for myself.

I felt a huge sense that the world was bigger than I keep thinking it to be and that on my days off, I need to do more that "relax before the next time I have to work." I decided to come up with 3 goals for myself that I have to accomplish everyday, so I'm not sitting on my ass watching reruns of Boy Meets World and stuffing my face when I'm bored on my days off. These first two days of goals went pretty well. I'm not expecting miracles, but for some reason I felt like that still wasn't enough.

The second event happened today when my dad and I went to Barnes and Noble to get my mom something for Christmas (no worries, she is not reading this). The cashier asked my dad if he wanted to purchase a stuffed toy or book to donate to the children's hospital. My dad, not having the extra money, declined. For some strange reason, I felt the need to inquire which hospital and what the children needed, and if I needed to purchase something in the store in order to donate. I was barely listening before I pulled out my debit card and chose a book off the shelf. I chose one of the Junie B. Jones books...I loved those when I was younger. I realized in that moment how much of a need I have to help kids. If I wasn't at the pet hospital right now, I hope I would be working with a children's organization. If I was working with a children's organization, I would be volunteering with animals. I don't know what it is but those are my weaknesses. Why did I have to be the color blue in that career test I took in college?

So before I started typing up tonight's post, I started looking for jobs like I have been that last few weeks and something else clicked...why don't I just put up with my hours (this is going to suck, but it's money right now) and apply to volunteer for a while instead? That's what I need I think. I need to make a difference, because I've always felt better when I did. Seeing the joy in someone's face because I was able to help is all the payment I would need if I didn't have bills.

I'm hoping this little adventure will work out for the best, and hopefully I will start feeling better about my life. Giving back isn't just something you should feel like you have to do like when you're in school and have to do it for a grade. I think it only really counts when you have a WANT and NEED to do it, for others and for yourself. As of right now I have applied to a local organization that has volunteers come and help students with reading. I love to read and I love to teach, so I figured why not start there?

KNG :)

What will you "B" for Halloween?

Hey all!  Last time I posted I informed everyone of my wonderful news of getting myself a fiance! Things have been well but crazy ever since, hence my writing lacking for a bit.  However, with Halloween coming up this week, and all of those crazy parties to go to, I decided to post the idea I came up with for me and my betrothed.

First off, I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was in 8th grade...and even then I just put on random goofy clothes and an obnoxious face mask my dad had lying around.  Last year I attempted a giraffe, but despite my creative efforts, I was told by my man and one of my best friends that I looked more like a leper than a giraffe.  So when my fiance and I were invited to a party last night hosted by one of his friends, I knew I had to make some sort of a comeback.  I didn't think the idea I came up with would fly, but amazingly enough my man loved it and got really excited (he works nights, ergo no parties as of late for him).

The idea: A robber and his money.

The execution: OK, so a robber is easy enough.  He just wore black baggy jeans, a black shirt and hat, and put black face makeup around his eyes (his "make-shift mask").  Then he added a few small knives he had, tucked safely away in his pockets, and a plastic gun.  CAUTION TO ALL LADIES: YOUR MAN WILL GET TRIGGER HAPPY! SO BE PREPARED FOR HIM TO BREAK OUT IN A "YE-HAW" TYPE OF MOOD.

My part was a little trickier, how in the hell am I going to dress up as money, without looking like this:






Or even like this:



So with a little help from my friend Julia...or a lot of help as my sewing is horrible... this is what I did: 

First I bought these...
Party City-Green tutu skirt ($19.99), four packs of play money ($0.25/pack), gold money chain ($5.00)
And then I needed a shirt to go with my money, and for some reason couldn't find a kelly green one to save my life so I picked up these...
Target-Green pumpkin sacks (never knew these existed) for $1.00 each, sewing kit with 6 colors and three needles for $2.89.

Then I went to work.  I took the green tutu and started to sew the fake money on the top layer...which I later discovered there were layers because I had the tutu inside out...but it worked for the better when it came to putting the money on it.  My sewing skills are to the extent of stitching so it wasn't the greatest job but worked.  After the first layer was finished, I decided I needed more money on the skirt but didn't have much time left (being the procrastinator I am) so I stapled more money underneath around the second layer.  The plus side was the fake money was more of a white/gray instead of green so the staples blended in. :)

In the meantime, my amazing friend started working on my shirt.  I wish I had taken a picture of each piece, but the sacks kind of looked like this only all green and had two more straps on each side.





There is a whole at the top so she cut the seam at the bottom and I wiggled my head in through the top of the bag.  She cut holes for my arms and then I took it off so she could sew the other bag to the bottom of it, making a whole shirt. otherwise it would have just covered my chest and it's too cold for that!

After the skirt and shirt were finished I tried them on.  My friend let me borrow a pair of her black leggings and I had a pair of cute black booties to finish it off.  We got costume-making happy and she grabbed two of the straps she had cut off and stitched them together to make a garter belt, which I later stapled more money to for kicks. I completed the look with my gold $ sign chain and put my hair in a pony tail with two bills sticking out of it. Here is my finished look (ignore the zip-up, I was colder than I thought I would be :) )



And there you have it!  I made money happen, not in the hottest or cleanest-cut way but hey, I thought it was cute.  I wish I had a picture of it with my shoes but our photographer wasn't back far enough.

Next week should be even more fun, my friend who helped me with this was inspired to be a "sexy palm tree" and I'm kind of intrigued to see what we come up with for our friend's "After-Halloween" Party next week!

What are your ideas?

Till next time!

KNG :)

"B" is for...the rest of your life

Before I begin this post, here are the answers to the last blog's guessing game...which only got one guess so thank you Aunt Sherry! The first picture was tobacco, the second was the tip of a pen and the third was a butterfly up close. I'll try that again another time, hopefully with a better turn out.

So, super exciting news!  Today's "B" title is a huge hint for what happened to me less than a week ago.  It includes a nice piece of jewelry and a party in the future...guesses? Betrothed!

My boyfriend of  two years and seven months (today in fact) decided to take the daring plunge and asked me to marry him.  It was a complete shock and he did an awesome job surprising me.  I'm still getting used to the idea...saying he's my "fiancé" now is going to take some practice for me to be comfortable with it.

I'm not going to share the details; I'm sorry but I like to keep that memory to a minimal, just in my mind and vocalization, not in print.  I love it and I want to remember it in vivid imagery rather than black and white. I will say it wasn't typical at all, it was completely cheesy, and there was no romance involved until I saw the ring (SURPRISE), turned around and bombarded him with hugs and kisses.

The first few days after were bewildering.  It was odd to become engaged and then leaving my new fiancé knowing I won't see him for a week because of his work schedule.  I came home and called family members, told my two closest friends, and then the next day decided to share the news with social media.  I had to keep telling myself not to post a picture of the ring either, but I caved two days later.  It's so beautiful I had to share it with the rest of my family and friends who are not close by.

Yesterday, I started a new board on the lovable Pinterest website, which is ridiculously addicting!  I can't stop!  I was never the girl to dream up the wedding she wanted...I'm still trying to figure that out. So for right now, my Pin board is filled with random ideas, but I'm sure a pattern will come alive soon enough.  I may not know what I'm looking for but the excitement is certainly taking over me.

At the moment, my fiancé(so weird!) and I are starting our house hunt before anything else.  We want to make sure our future has it's building blocks in place before we really start planning our wedding.  Like today's title says...for the rest of your life :)

KNG :)

Could it "B"?

This should be an interesting post, and will require some feedback/participation!  Below are three pictures, you need to guess what each one could "b."  Have fun :) Whoever guesses right will be mentioned in the next blog!  These are tricky so be careful...

Don't "B" Gay

I feel that it is time for me to start standing up for my morals and what I believe in. I am a baptized, non-practicing Catholic. I don't know that I believe in God, but I believe in something after we die. I have faith in myself and I practice good morals and have an overall positive attitude towards life. Sometimes it can be hard for me not to go against my beliefs in a society that thrives off of stereotypes. If anyone says differently, they're lying. Everyone is guilty of saying things like "that's so gay" or "that's retarded" even though we know it's not right to say those things. I'm not going to get into all of my issues with society and race and religion, but with recent on-going events, and that this song will be performed for the world to see and hear in two weeks, I felt a strong urge to put my two cents in about Gay marriage and people who are gay.

"Same Love" by Macklemore pretty much sums everything up for the people who are like me. If you are an overall good person who doesn't use a Bible to hide behind or a congregation to forgive you for your sins just so you can turn around and commit them again, then you'll know what I'm talking about. It's really no one's business who someone has an intimate relationship with, other than the two people in the relationship. So where is the judgement coming from? I'm pretty positive God isn't walking around talking about Gay people being an abomination... Your pastors, priests, what have you, might be but they aren't God...or, excuse me, Jesus. I'm also 100% positive that people who really are gay, don't choose it. Why would anyone want to choose to love the same sex when they know what's going to come from it? No, I'm not gay, but that doesn't mean I can't stand up for those who are. In all honesty, I'm getting tired of hearing about the subject.

I'm not being mean, but seriously why is this becoming the most important thing our Government is looking into right now? I won't get into politics any further than to say it's stupid. Instead of letting the arguing go on about whether or not to "allow" gay marriage, we should be focusing on other and more important things. For all of you "Christians" out there, please take the time to find in the bible where it says "Gay people choose to be gay and they should go to hell if they're gay" and show it to me. And please, don't pick out bits and pieces and try to put it all together to try to say what you think is right. I want one good, solid paragraph that says Gay people are not born that way, that they choose it and that they should all die. Also, please do tell what gay people do to hurt YOU, because I have certainly seen what straight people do to hurt THEM.

When I read the comment feed for this music video, I couldn't believe the ignorance...well that and how horribly people are with their grammar these days (very sad, get a dictionary or use spell check people!).


So to end my rant let me just say this: What are the good things gay people do? Well, for one thing they adopt children who are given up and don't have homes. We know how anatomy works so procreating isn't an option...well at least between the two people in the relationship. I've seen more gay people adopt inside the United States than straight people, which is saying something since most of your "celebrities" (who are straight...with partners) like to adopt from other countries when ours is filled with too many kids in the foster system or in children's homes. Another thing they do is teach others how to be open minded while a lot of straight families are filled with the stereotypes. Being a college graduate, I have also taken a few college courses where we studied the topic of families, and guess what? Oh no, could it be?? YES! Gay families end up (statistically) raising children who do extremely well in society, are straight, and more open-minded and polite than children with straight parents. WHAT?? Shocker? It shouldn't be by this point.

I can ramble off statistics all day long, but it really comes down to the individual person. All people are different, though some may act the same. So why would you think of your best friend differently if all of a sudden he told you one day that he was gay? Because you think he might hit on you? Or make sexual advances towards you? Don't flatter yourself.

Once again, feel free to leave me comments, or if you want to state your opinion privately, you can message me on Facebook or here's my email: kg6891@yahoo.com

For your enjoyment: "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Till next time,
KNG :)

Don't be a "B," Just Go With It

Life's lessons--they can make or break you but are always interesting. The lessons you learn are all based on the choices you make in life.  There are never right or wrong lessons, but choices are a different story.  The choices I've made have always come with a lesson in mind, not that I've always seen them coming but, ha that's life!

#1-When you find yourself in a stressful situation, let's say at work, don't let it get to you and vent later. Working in the food industry for six years has made me the best stress handler in the world! Well, almost...what I mean is, if you can handle customer service in the food industry, you can handle pretty much anything.  You will get the rudest, most ungrateful customers who are paying for food that you have to make, and even if it's the best thing you've made in your life, they still find something wrong with it. Why? Because that's how some people are, they only want things at one price: FREE. So if that means making an ass of themselves, they'll do it and you have to grin and bare it.  That doesn't mean you can't vent later, especially over a drink or two with close co-workers and friends :)  Yes, that's my secret.  I handle stress extremely well because of the choices I make when dealing with work situations.  Just remember to breathe and set the problem aside in your mind until you clock out!  Then cuss those damn customers out all you want to your buds, they'll understand...or at least goof off long enough to make you forget about your bad day :)
 
 #2- When dealing with arguments or sticky situations with friends, stay true to yourself.  I have lost a few friends over the last four years and that was mainly my own choice.  Everyone grows up and settles into who they are as people after high school graduation.  Whether or not you can continue your relationship with some of your friends is all determined on what you want out of your life.  In my case, there was way too much drama going on and I had to reevaluate how I saw myself and then make my decision on what step to take next.  I felt that the best thing for me would be to cut ties with these friends, because no matter who the problem was (yes WHO), the relationship between us was going to stay rocky unless someone made a change.  My choice was to end the friendships and move on.  Others may do things a little differently, but the main thing to remember is to be yourself and not to change to make others happy or to make relationships of any kind work.  Not saying that a little leeway here and there isn't ok, but make sure your morals and the way you want to live your life are not being compromised, otherwise it might be time to say buh-bye.

#3-When things don't go your way, don't be a bitch and just go with it. This is the life lesson I'm still learning because when I plan things out, I always expect them to go the way I want them to go.  I can tell you right now, this is the biggest mistake you can make.  I am worse than a girl the week before "shark week" when things don't go like I've planned them.  This is why I'm lucky to have the boyfriend that I have.  Yes, he can be a jerk sometimes but he keeps it real.  If I'm being a bitch over something I can't control, he's going to call me out on it.  Do I get pissed off at him? Hell yes.  Do I get over it? Absolutely.  He taught me this lesson and it is one of the most life-changing experiences you will ever go through if you like details and controlling situations.  I still slip occassionally, but whenever things go wrong, I take a step back for a minute and evaluate.  I think "Am I overreacting or could this have been controlled?"  It's all about how you take the situation.  In the end, when you can't control something, you need to just go with it and if you still have the urge, freak out about it later.




#4-Give yourself some "me" time, even if it compromises hanging out with friends.  I am an excellent customer service person because I like to work and for some reason I'm really good with people.  However, I don't have that many friends.  I've always been more of a quiet, keep-to-myself kind of person until I get to know someone.  But honestly, I think at the age I am now, I realized that I'm just tired of people.  This probably explains why I decided to go in a completely different direction and work at a Vet clinic instead of pursuing more education to become a teacher...Anyway, back to my point, whether you have a ton of friends that you see all the time or just a select few, always make time for yourself.  It's a good thing to get away from people and work and develop a solo hobby that you enjoy doing.  It gives you time to enjoy yourself as a person.  I may not have a psychology degree, but I think if more people took the time to find out what they enjoy doing by themselves, they would be a little happier.  For example, I love locking my bedroom door, cranking the music up on my iPod, and dancing around my room.  Do I share this fact with people? No I don't, but I'm sharing it now as an example.  Any emotions that build up in me, I can let go of when I'm messing around, dancing solo in front of my half-size mirror on my closet door.  Do something that makes you happy for you, even if it's weird and you think people will judge you for it.  Nobody cares if you don't tell them, plus it's you time, not you and them time.



#5-Enjoy your life, the way it is now, even if you want more out of it later.  There have been many, many times where I wish I had more going on right now in my life or that things would move quicker to get to where I want to be.  I was in such a rush that I didn't realize life was passing me by and I wasn't enjoying what I have now because I was too worried about getting to the next phase in my life.  This is another reason why I started this blog.  Just like lesson 3, I'm still learning this one.  However, I make a little more progress every day just by writing in this blog or making sure I'm not just coming home after work and going to sleep.  I'm trying to make the most of what I have now, which is a little difficult sometimes because it's like having an itch you can't scratch.  But I need to relax.  Relaxing is the key, because if you're going and going and going all the time, you miss out on things that you would never know were there.  So slow down, look around you, and remember what's most important.  Keep working at your goals but remember, some things need more time than others and everything will fall into place when it's meant to.



As always, feel free to leave comments about this blog.  What kind of life lessons have you learned?  Not sure yet what I'll be writing tomorrow, but I may give the "101" list a rest for the weekend.

KNG: :)

"The Only "B" Word You Should Call A Girl Is Beautiful" -Unknown

It's quote day!

I wasn't too sure how I should go about this topic, so I think I'll do it the way I would want to read it...with pictures!

Indeed, true. As I have learned time and time again, it is best to fall apart completely when the opportunity presents itself.  The best time to do it is when you've lost who you really are and you need to figure out who "you" is again. Be who you are, not what society wants you to be. Stick it to the man, flip him off! Do what makes you feel good about yourself, even if it means others you love disapprove. The saddest part of it is, I preach this all the time to other people, but I need to preach it to myself! Do it Girl!!  Be who you are! Be Beautiful, be Brave, be Bombarding and Brutally honest.  Be true to yourself.  Like that play on "B" words?  I thought it was clever... :)

Onto the next...

Finally! A smart man in history!  Well...as far as empowering women, that is. Albert Einstein told you ladies...and we all know he was one smart cookie.  BE YOU! Don't look at what society wants you to be and think you need to amount to that, I mean seriously, don't you know what REAL beauty is? Need another picture? Me too! I love these :)

 That's it right there ladies! Beauty.  It's in the curves, not the skeleton. It's confidence, not covering up. It's all about how you see yourself, and not giving a damn what anyone else thinks.














So obviously I got on a self-empowerment for women rant there, but in all honesty I want others to be inspired, even just for something small.  Life is what you make of it, so instead of being the "B" word, get creative! Inspire yourself with something, anything that gets you moving and getting out there to feel good about yourself, guy or girl, man or woman.  So let's get my blog some action, leave a comment and tell me, what inspires you?  I love to listen!  Here's one more sense of awesomeness to leave you with, hopefully great enough inspiration to motivate you...sure is motivating me.

 

Until tomorrow, of which the topic will be (from 101): #46 Write about the most important lessons you’ve learned in your life

...This should be interesting, even for me :)

KNG

The "B" Word

Once upon a time, at a Bob Evans restaurant in upstate New York, friends and family were going out to celebrate a young girl's performance at her dance recital.  Laughing and lighthearted conversations consumed all around when suddenly someone said the "B" word -- "I'm BORED."

The young girl was yours truly, and the girl saying she was bored was my friend Rachel.  Now, I know that this is not a particularly horrific word, however if you knew my Nana you would be holding your breath as much as I was that night.  You see, there is never a reason for someone to be bored because you can always find something to do.  In my case, and my first and last offense of saying this word in front of her, I got to write the word "bored" and its definition from the dictionary over and over and over again.  Well, there was no dictionary at Bob Evans that night...but there were napkins and someone had a pen.  So what did Rachel get to write that night? Because she was bored, the offender was made to pen words for each letter of the alphabet on a white diner napkin.  See?  There really is always SOMETHING to do when you're bored.

So why have I started this blog?  My third in fact, not loving the ones I have written in the past. Well...I have found myself feeling much more on the bored side lately, which is insane considering I just graduated from college and started a full time job. However, not wanting to be a repeat offender, I have kept the fact that I am bored to myself and I now need to express the need to keep myself occupied.  This blog is my solution.

I am never sure what to write about so I decided to Google "Blog Ideas."  Pathetic! But necessary to keep this entertaining.  I'm hoping to take this blog more seriously than my failed ones, and relieve my boredom and keep myself from saying it out loud.  So here's my first goal:

I have found a list of 101 blog ideas...NO I will NOT be doing every single one of these ideas, not only because I'm using this as a starting point but also because some of these ideas just suck.

Look out for tomorrow, my first official day of blogging (I don't count my introduction, anyone can do that).  Topic:#10 Write inspirational/motivational post with famous quotes.

Yes, I'm not ashamed of the copy/paste method of getting my point across.  I like this idea because I think I should start out with something inspirational and motivating, at the very least for myself...

Cya :)
KNG