A good friend, who is also an international development worker, has been most recently stationed in Haiti. She recommends the following organization for relief donations:
Partners in Health
She had remained in the States after the holidays, recuperating from a back injury.
As for the rest, I am speechless and feel horribly helpless. This morning I saw on Huffington Post that Americans have donated 8 million USD via cell phone donations. I am very, very proud.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
730 in 365 Clutter Challenge
Amy at 'Amy's Finer Things' is hosting, and I am jumping on board. (Annnd all these blog challenges will get me blogging again. Yayz.)
I'm tailoring it to my own specifications. I am a pretty spatially-motivated person. I guess having less stuff would make it easier to clean, but in full disclosure we don't really clean at all. I just last week accepted that we, as two otherwise competent adults, need a chore chart. But my biggest motivator is that I want to see empty space. It's why I love hotels so much. The rooms are just so...blank.
So, I am going with a spatial measurement for my challenge: 730 ft cubed in 365. I want to know how big of a space full of crap I'm eliminating.
And to fill this 730 ft (cubed) I'll pick through the following:
- Paper clutter is a big problem for us- me- so I'm counting 1) the basketfuls of paper we recycle 2) the bagfuls of paper we shred. I'm not counting other recycling because it's not a problem. The old beer bottles don't infilitrate all rooms of the house and find a way to be packed for every move. Also not counting basic household trash. I do have it in me to measure the cat litter, in the name of accuracy, so Imma go ahead and draw that line in the sand reeeaaall early.
- A few months ago we moved a bunch of my childhood stuff from Midwest State, doubling our junk rooms in the house. We have a spare bedroom (guest room) and an converted garage room (we'd like it to be a workout room) that are out of commission now becase they are full of mostly junk.
- We also have random items that are part of the renovations lying around. THose will count too, since once they are put in use they are still out of my breathing space.
Pantry Challenge
I'm going to participate, in my own half-ass way, in the Pantry Challenge that MoneySavingMom and FishMama are hosting. My rule is that at least once a week, we'll use up some food item that has been lurking around. Such as:
- a few nights ago I made Veggie Sloppy Joes with some TVP we've been keeping in the cupboard. I can't remember when we bought it, so I'm sure it's time to be used up.
- I also made this recipe from Smitten Kitchen that used up a bag of dried red beans and some Jasmine rice. Both also with an unknown month of purchase.
Other items I want to make use of:
- a jar of mung beans that we bought for sprouting. We always lose steam and forget to rinse the sprouts, and they rot. if we stay on top of it, it's a good wintertime food source.
- lots of rice (brown and jasmine) and canned beans.
- quinoa. It's been around awhile. I might need more than 10 fingers to count how long.
- cranberries- 2 bags. I wanted to try my hand at canning this summer, but couldn't seem to act on it while the Farmer's Market was going. Act II= cranberry sauce!
- about 8 bags of rice flour. Bought on close-out back when I thought I had a gluten problem.
- 3 half-full cans of powdered cocoa. They disappear and we keep buying more.
- 1.5 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- 4-5 boxes of Red Mill cous-cous with flax seed. Bought on closeout.
- 2-3 cans of pumpkin.
- Several lbs of chicken in various forms in the fridge.
This isn't everything in the pantry, but it's all the stuff I'm tired of looking at.
- a few nights ago I made Veggie Sloppy Joes with some TVP we've been keeping in the cupboard. I can't remember when we bought it, so I'm sure it's time to be used up.
- I also made this recipe from Smitten Kitchen that used up a bag of dried red beans and some Jasmine rice. Both also with an unknown month of purchase.
Other items I want to make use of:
- a jar of mung beans that we bought for sprouting. We always lose steam and forget to rinse the sprouts, and they rot. if we stay on top of it, it's a good wintertime food source.
- lots of rice (brown and jasmine) and canned beans.
- quinoa. It's been around awhile. I might need more than 10 fingers to count how long.
- cranberries- 2 bags. I wanted to try my hand at canning this summer, but couldn't seem to act on it while the Farmer's Market was going. Act II= cranberry sauce!
- about 8 bags of rice flour. Bought on close-out back when I thought I had a gluten problem.
- 3 half-full cans of powdered cocoa. They disappear and we keep buying more.
- 1.5 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- 4-5 boxes of Red Mill cous-cous with flax seed. Bought on closeout.
- 2-3 cans of pumpkin.
- Several lbs of chicken in various forms in the fridge.
This isn't everything in the pantry, but it's all the stuff I'm tired of looking at.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
HP Touch Smart Computer GIVEAWAY
Go see Stephanie at Totally Together Reviews for entry details. Good luck!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Scientiae: ThereIsNoIinTeamButThereIs_M_E
Attributed to my best friend, whispered during one of our track coaches' less effective pep talks.
"There is an M and an E in Team," may indeed be my style right now. Maybe the snark isn't quite so fitting, but it's a lot closer than being inspired.
I have been working on my research-based Master's since the fall of 2005. There are lots of perfectly good reasons why I haven't finished- field seasons, Booker's deployment, bouts of anxiety disorder, insomnia (MAJOR insomnia, like 3-4 hours a night for months in a row) and depression. Now I'm just outright embarrassed that it's taking so long. My personal life is mine to keep personal, much of it is things I wouldn't want to share with my advisor (I told him about some "health problems" that have now been straightened out) or committee, yet the past two years have strongly affected my performance. Uhh...where was I?
Yes, so now I am just desperate to finish and constantly trying to de-fang this whole thing. I totally hate my project and feel little to no passion for what I have been doing. A friend of mine once told me to go with that; instead of waiting to feel inspired, to just let yourself feel so pissed off that you want to be done. And I am. I really am. I'm also verrry self-involved and cranky. So this is how my "M and E in Team" is playing out:
1) I don't care about meeting the new grad students. Yes, you are nice people, I have been in your shoes before and will be again. But I don't care about you. I won't be here past December and I'm not interested in making new friends. Plus, they all come in starry-eyed and Pollyanningly say "Iiiiii won't be here forever. Iiiii am going to finish in two years." Whatever. Just you wait. This is an overwhelmingly fieldwork-based department; the average is 2.5-3 years, and those people who take longer are busting their asses just as much as you plan to.
2) I am working at *large retail chain* and trying to help support our little family. Therefore, I am not always available to go to the department seminar and do not appreciate snarky e-mails from program head that "only 12 of our 40 students came to the seminar." I consistently attended seminar for 3 years. Bite me.
3) Nor do I appreciate, upon telling people where I work, getting told, "Well, do what you have to." BTW, it tends to be faculty who do that. Are you that out of touch?? Some of us don't have tenure! My job gives its employees full benefits for working 20+ hours a week. Yes, health care for working 20 hours a week. I'd like to point out that as a TA, I didn't earn any social security credits, definately no 403(b) options, and the university fees and mandated health insurance cost us 1/3 of our stipend a year.
3) I am working at a job where I make $1 dollar more an hour than a job I had as a college freshman over 10 years ago. Except now I have 1.75 more degrees. Yes, I'm lucky to have a job of any kind, the economy, blah blah blah. It still stings when you have $60,000 in student loan debt.
4) Competitive lab mate does not want anyone to finish before her. The next time she tries to pry out exactly how far along I am in writing, I might very well turn around and fart in her face.
I think I'm going to enjoy my membership in Team M-E. Being the pissed off founding member has gotten me to finish a thesis chapter, which I had put on hold all summer. If inspiration is not your style, I highly recommend starting an M-E franchise!
"There is an M and an E in Team," may indeed be my style right now. Maybe the snark isn't quite so fitting, but it's a lot closer than being inspired.
I have been working on my research-based Master's since the fall of 2005. There are lots of perfectly good reasons why I haven't finished- field seasons, Booker's deployment, bouts of anxiety disorder, insomnia (MAJOR insomnia, like 3-4 hours a night for months in a row) and depression. Now I'm just outright embarrassed that it's taking so long. My personal life is mine to keep personal, much of it is things I wouldn't want to share with my advisor (I told him about some "health problems" that have now been straightened out) or committee, yet the past two years have strongly affected my performance. Uhh...where was I?
Yes, so now I am just desperate to finish and constantly trying to de-fang this whole thing. I totally hate my project and feel little to no passion for what I have been doing. A friend of mine once told me to go with that; instead of waiting to feel inspired, to just let yourself feel so pissed off that you want to be done. And I am. I really am. I'm also verrry self-involved and cranky. So this is how my "M and E in Team" is playing out:
1) I don't care about meeting the new grad students. Yes, you are nice people, I have been in your shoes before and will be again. But I don't care about you. I won't be here past December and I'm not interested in making new friends. Plus, they all come in starry-eyed and Pollyanningly say "Iiiiii won't be here forever. Iiiii am going to finish in two years." Whatever. Just you wait. This is an overwhelmingly fieldwork-based department; the average is 2.5-3 years, and those people who take longer are busting their asses just as much as you plan to.
2) I am working at *large retail chain* and trying to help support our little family. Therefore, I am not always available to go to the department seminar and do not appreciate snarky e-mails from program head that "only 12 of our 40 students came to the seminar." I consistently attended seminar for 3 years. Bite me.
3) Nor do I appreciate, upon telling people where I work, getting told, "Well, do what you have to." BTW, it tends to be faculty who do that. Are you that out of touch?? Some of us don't have tenure! My job gives its employees full benefits for working 20+ hours a week. Yes, health care for working 20 hours a week. I'd like to point out that as a TA, I didn't earn any social security credits, definately no 403(b) options, and the university fees and mandated health insurance cost us 1/3 of our stipend a year.
3) I am working at a job where I make $1 dollar more an hour than a job I had as a college freshman over 10 years ago. Except now I have 1.75 more degrees. Yes, I'm lucky to have a job of any kind, the economy, blah blah blah. It still stings when you have $60,000 in student loan debt.
4) Competitive lab mate does not want anyone to finish before her. The next time she tries to pry out exactly how far along I am in writing, I might very well turn around and fart in her face.
I think I'm going to enjoy my membership in Team M-E. Being the pissed off founding member has gotten me to finish a thesis chapter, which I had put on hold all summer. If inspiration is not your style, I highly recommend starting an M-E franchise!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Watch your fucking mouth!
Ok. I work at a certain retail store. It's not important where. Most of my coworkers are late teens and early twenties. We had a meeting today to go over some things and clear the air (there's been lots of silly gossip.) One of the things that I brought up was that *people*- and I included myself because I have a filthy mouth (fuck, shit, that kind of thing) - need to watch what we say, that the store is mostly loud but does have sweet spots where customers can hear us. The specific example I used is how 'r-------' and 'g---' are thrown around. (Yeah, and I am SO not okay with that.)
The reaction was kind of lukewarm, as in general agreement that yes, we should watch what we say but we all know it's not meant to be anything bad, etc etc. I beg to differ. Those offensive examples I gave to everyone don't include the times I've heard a certain specific group of people referred to in a negative way- the most outlandish being "---- people smell bad." Or the times I've heard f--, NOT in reference to a British term for a cigarette and (thankfully) not in front of my homosexual coworker. I've noticed that there's some editing. When my xyz coworkers are not there, things are said about xyz people. When the pqr coworker is not there, things are said- "jokingly"- about pqr people. More than once something that has been tossed out in a sarcastic manner has left me absolutely speechless, jaw hanging open. I try to throw out a "I don't like that word," or "What do you mean?"
I don't know. I guess I need to vent in an anonymous way. Mostly I can't believe what people think it is okay to say in any context, let alone at work. And that the most effective way to stop it seems to be "oh, we don't want the customers to hear." Am I the only one who was taught not to do that? Whether or not anyone can hear you? Is it a generational thing? Is it a regional thing?
I don't know if I should/ should not have said anything. 1) I just want to collect a paycheck and keep my nose clean at work and be cool with all my coworkers. 2) Everyone pretty much knows where I stand on some things due to my standard "I don't like that word" response. Still, I kind of got the feeling of a sense of -we're-all-adults-and-we-can-say-what-we-want-and-people-shouldn't-be-so-sensitive. But when all the terms are put together, and especially when you hear what some people say when others are not there, it paints a really nasty picture.
Blargh.
I just think that what you say MATTERS.
The reaction was kind of lukewarm, as in general agreement that yes, we should watch what we say but we all know it's not meant to be anything bad, etc etc. I beg to differ. Those offensive examples I gave to everyone don't include the times I've heard a certain specific group of people referred to in a negative way- the most outlandish being "---- people smell bad." Or the times I've heard f--, NOT in reference to a British term for a cigarette and (thankfully) not in front of my homosexual coworker. I've noticed that there's some editing. When my xyz coworkers are not there, things are said about xyz people. When the pqr coworker is not there, things are said- "jokingly"- about pqr people. More than once something that has been tossed out in a sarcastic manner has left me absolutely speechless, jaw hanging open. I try to throw out a "I don't like that word," or "What do you mean?"
I don't know. I guess I need to vent in an anonymous way. Mostly I can't believe what people think it is okay to say in any context, let alone at work. And that the most effective way to stop it seems to be "oh, we don't want the customers to hear." Am I the only one who was taught not to do that? Whether or not anyone can hear you? Is it a generational thing? Is it a regional thing?
I don't know if I should/ should not have said anything. 1) I just want to collect a paycheck and keep my nose clean at work and be cool with all my coworkers. 2) Everyone pretty much knows where I stand on some things due to my standard "I don't like that word" response. Still, I kind of got the feeling of a sense of -we're-all-adults-and-we-can-say-what-we-want-and-people-shouldn't-be-so-sensitive. But when all the terms are put together, and especially when you hear what some people say when others are not there, it paints a really nasty picture.
Blargh.
I just think that what you say MATTERS.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Moving Forward
Not sure it's best for me to blog after taking my Ambien. I written a little bit about the insomnia and depression with whom I've been coexisting. The biggest part of my moving on has been in using these prescriptions which I very badly needed. I got a therapist.I got a part-time job. I think my head will eventually get out of the clouds enough to come down to earth to finish writing my thesis. Booker is taking a kickboxing class for fun, so now we both have the energy to deal with the house issues before we try to sell it. We're in a pattern now where everything i contigenet on everything else, so it's hard to move ahead. When the insomnia was bad, I was only getting ~3 hours a night. I honestly thoutht I was losing my mind. I couldn't think, stuttered halfway through sentences, and constantly felt like I was on a roller coaster. It was that dippy fluttery feeling in your stomach, all day and all night over and over again. Both being able to sleep and feeling calm and confident during the day has put me right again. The porfessional progress is still slow, but I'm okay with that.
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