Inspiration

I'm watching "Julie and Julia" for the third time in two months right now.

This movie makes me happy.  If you haven't watched it, I really recommend that you do.  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, the movie is about Julie Powell who cooks and blogs her way through Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".  It's funny and sweet and is an all around great movie/true story. 

The cooking part isn't the inspiration that I was talking about.  For those of you who really know me, you're aware of the fact that I have no cooking ability what-so-ever.  I've set the fire alarm off in my house when there was absolutely nothing in the pan that was on the stove.  What the heck!?!  Luckily moving out has strengthened my cooking skills a tiny bit.  Having Corinne around a lot helps too.  We try to cook dinner together as much as possible.

The inspiration here is Julie Powell's determination to write and blog no matter what.  "Tomorrow, we begin again. Isn't that always the way?," she states at the end of her post on September 2, 2002 (that was also the day she ate her first egg!).  She was married, had a full time job, and still managed to blog almost every day.  That's dedication right?


I need that same dedication.  I love to write.  I'm taking 4 writing classes this semester which makes my heart happy.  Last Thursday, I had two classes and in both of them all we had to do was write about whatever we wanted.  Time flew and before I knew it class was over and it was time to go.  Honestly I wish every college class could be that way.  


So I'm going to strive to blog more.  You might get some random class assignment retyped or an original work that's all this blog's very own, who knows.  I'm just going to write.  Like Julie Powell.  Maybe one day they'll make a movie out of it....ha!

Here's Julie Powell's blog in case you're curious about reading it.  Try and read along while watching the movie and find the actual day they're portraying.  It's pretty fun. (Disclaimer:  Although there's literally next to no cussing in the movie, Julie has a bit of a mouth on her in her actual blog.)


Happy reading!

I'm Pleased to Announce

That this...

Is now this...

 

I finally got rid of the car that has caused so much anxiety in the Mann family's life!  Thank goodness!  Now I can just enjoy my new-to-me Dodge Neon and hopefully this one will not start to self destruct on me.  

In other news I started working at LA Fitness.  There's a lot to learn and I've kinda screwed up a couple times but hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon.  

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Lady A's "Need You Now"

Lady Antebellum, pretty much my favorite country group, came out with their latest album "Need You Now" yesterday.  Target was having an amazing deal where it was already on sale for $9.00 so I picked it up as a personal splurge.

If you are in any way, shape, or form a country fan I would definitely recommend it.  If you're not a country fan...I have nothing to say to you other than your taste in music would  benefit greatly by liking this amazing genre.

Man, three posts in one day.  I'm on a roll.  Night!  = )

Next In Line

In a world where everything is running faster and its population becoming increasingly busier, nothing else seems to throw a wrench in the wheel of rushing around better than a long line.

A long line of cars at the drive-thru window.  A long line at the post office or DMV.  A long line at the grocery or retail store.  No matter where the line is forming the level of patience among those who are waiting in it inevitably drops a few degrees and sometimes tempers are bound to flare.

There is a line that I personally don't mind waiting in though.  You walk into this building full of tables and over sized arm chairs and it hits you.  The aroma.  The smell of rich, bold amazing-ness hits your nose and you know by the time you set foot out of the building you'll have tasted the flavors and savored every last drop of liquid goodness.  Can you guess what and where I'm talking about?  Starbucks ladies and gentlemen...I'm talking about Starbucks.

The line for coffee, tea, and pastries is almost out the door at our Starbucks on campus during my break from 10-11 a.m.  We college students need our caffeine.  The staff and faculty do as well.  I've observed several of them who don't even need to order, the baristas already know exactly what they want.

I'm not a big fan of lines at all but for some reason the line at Starbucks just doesn't seem too bad when I come out at the end with my steaming cup of coffee that arms me with the energy to tackle my next class and whatever else the day might bring. 

Case Closed

Thank you all for your advice two days ago.  I would have written sooner but I needed to be in the right frame of mind first.  If I ever have any other advice needs I'll make sure to post again.  The funny thing is that we can think that we know the right choice and what would be best but ultimately God's just gonna do what He wants.  

After I posted my question I went to work at Hollister and was pretty sure that I was going to take the job there and try it out.  I show up and start doing the lead stock duties when my store manager makes a comment that I would be training a girl on the lead stock job later on that night.  I was a little confused but everyone who works in the back needs to learn most everything that the lead stock does so I really thought nothing of it.

So eventually she shows up and I started showing her the ropes and we started talking.  She asked how long I had been working at Hollister and then proceeds to tell me that she's been working there for a month and suddenly she drops a bomb on me...she's the new stock lead.  What?!

Apparently my SM didn't feel like waiting to hear my answer and because I don't really live here, I just go to school here they decided to hire someone who is local.  She had been given the position over the weekend. 

Can you hear the door shutting (or slamming)?  I sure did...still do actually.  Another kick in the pants is now that because I know the job already and she doesn't, I'm training her.

I start working at LA Fitness tomorrow.  I'll let you know how it goes.

So that's the story.  Case officially closed.  Thanks again for your help.

Attn. Former Full-Time College Students: I Need Your Help

Here's the dilemma, after months of job searching and applying for random jobs around town I recently was offered no just one, but two jobs and I don't know which one to chose.

The first is a part-time job as a receptionist at LA Fitness in Garden Grove.  I'm guaranteed 20-25 set hours a week, which actually would be Thursday-Sunday, and I'll be making $8.00/hr with the potential to make commission on selling and renewing memberships.  I could continue to work at Hollister a few days a week and it seems like they're pretty flexible as far as taking time off goes.  The appeal here is that it's something new and I can come home or go somewhere if I need to.

The second is the lead stock position at my Hollister (The job I've pretty much been waiting for since the beginning of last semester when things were easier).  I'd be working 32 hours a week, Monday through Friday, (3:30 to 10 or 11 p.m.) and I'd be making over $10.00/hr.  I already have the job down and I like my bosses a lot.  I would have to balance those hours and a full, 15 unit and upper level class/homework load and there is pretty much zero flexibility when it comes to taking time off.  The major appeal here is I would be 99.9% self sufficient as far as money is concerned (I would make rent with one check!).

Other factors that are adding to the struggle of deciding between the two are I was thinking of coming back home for the summer and/or going to North Carolina for awhile, I want/need to make more friends down here and be able to spend time with the ones that I already have, and I've been known to get so stressed and overwhelmed that my body cannot handle it and I'm in a constant state of sick.  To me a part-time job would be easier to quit at the end of the summer than a full-time job.  I have had one of my friends at Hollister offer to take the job over the summer and give it back to me when I come back down for school but even that's not a for sure deal. 

Basically in my mind it comes down to two decisions.  On one hand with one job I would have money to be financially independent and to start actually saving some of what I earn for the future or with the other job I would have freedom to be with people that I love and devote myself completely to school.  I know this probably shouldn't be hard decision but this is becoming a huge struggle for me.

The idea that I could support myself is amazing, especially when I'm failing at that right now, but the thought of not being able to escape back home or to visit James on the rare, long weekend just horrifies me.

I wish you could know the amount of hours I've spent thinking and praying about this and how much angst it's causing me.  I need advice.  Did any of you work full-time while going to college?  Was it really hard to keep up with your school work?  Was your social life more important so you just worked part-time and relied on your parents for money?  What would you chose in my situation?  Help me out.  Led me some wisdom that I'm totally lacking.  You can leave me a comment here or send me a message or comment on Facebook.

Thanks in advance and I'll make sure I'll update ya'll on what happens. 

Comment Fail

Tonight, while I was studying for my winter session Journ. 311: Writing and Reporting for The Media's final, I came across a tidbit of information that made me sad.

A blog is not a true blog unless you receive comments from your readers.

Well folks, I have no comments.  Now, I haven't posted very much so far but there is potential for comments to appear...or so I thought.

Come to find out I had for some reason disabled the comment application from my blog.  Honestly I don't know if I've ever messed with the settings on here enough to even realize the mystery behind my no comment status so it might have came set like that by default but, tonight I did.

So dear readers...if there are any besides my mom...you can now post comments on whatever random ramblings come to my mind and are typed, then sent out into this void. 

When it Rains it Pours

For the last few days Long Beach has been hit with a torrential down pore that left streets flooded, my university student union destroyed, and 5 or so inches of water in the drivers side of my car.

Yes, my new car, was flooded. I came to class at 8:50 a.m., parked on the first level of the parking garage, and when I returned at around 1:15 p.m. I found this...

Now this is not the greatest picture ever and it doesn't do the pond beneath my car any justice but I waded almost up to my knees in water to get to the drivers side of my car. This was in a covered parking garage! 

Ah, anyways, I proceeded to buy a wet/dry shopvac, a space heater, and an electrical cord and spent the next hour and a half trying to dry it out.  After being significantly flustered I ran upstairs and had to get somewhat presentable because I had a job interview at 4.  (That will be another story later when I know what's going on.)

Now, a day later, CSULB is shut down tomorrow due to flooding and everyone is battening down the hatches for what's supposed to be an even bigger storm tomorrow.

Let's hope that we all come out OK...just kidding, we'll be fine.

Talk to you later!

2010

I can't believe we're already almost two weeks into the new year. I hope that all of you (who bother to read my ramblings) had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Those two particular holidays are probably my favorites.

This holiday season was a new experience for me since I was away from home for the better part of it. I had to hang some lights and buy a 3ft. tree to make my room feel a little more like home. Those were kind of futile attempts though because it didn't really feel much like Christmas until I came home. There's just something about being around all the people that you love to make the holidays feel right. Not only was I able to spend time with my family but James was home on leave too and since we had been apart for almost eight months we had a lot of fun together.

I think it's safe to say that this year has had a rocky start so far. Being back down here has been tough. I don't really know if it's because I know all my friends back home are still having fun on break while I'm back in school five days a week, or because I don't have anyone down here right now to hang out with, or if there's something else going on...but it's been pretty hard to be cheery the last two weeks.

Normally I would try to make a New Years resolution and try to stick to it as long as I possibly can but this year is a little different. I have a few New Years musts to make.

1. I need a second job or one full-time job that I can manage as a student.

2. I need to keep making friends down here.

3. I need to find a church that really makes me feel at home like SVCC does.

4. This one might be a long shot but James and I made it a resolution that we would see each other more than just 15 days this year....yeah two weeks and one day out of 2009 I got to see my boyfriend...major bummer.


So despite it's rough beginnings I'm hoping that 2010 will be a great year. I'll be one two more semesters closer to graduating college, this is possibly my family's North Carolina summer, and I know that God is going to do some really cool things in my life.

Talk to ya'll soon!

Fight on the Home Front

Corporal Matthew Lorscheider, 28, served his country for four years in the Marine Corps as a machine gunner in Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. After serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when 9/11 happened and being deployed to Iraq for seven months in 2003, one would think that he had seen his fair share of battles.

Unfortunately, Lorscheider and many veterans, who are trying to further their education by attending college after their enlistments are up, have come across another fight. This time they are fighting stateside and their enemy is called the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The source of veteran student’s problems today is due to the newest addition to the GI Bill family. Effective in 2009, the original GI Bill was updated to the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Chapter 33. This law gives veterans who served active duty on, or after, Sept. 11, 2001 improved education benefits that would cover more than just educational expenses. Veterans now receive a living allowance, money for books and the ability to transfer over their education benefits to their spouses or children.

Lorscheider originally received the Montgomery GI Bill and immediately began using it after his discharge in June of 2004. All 36 months of his eligibility were used by January 2008. He was originally told that because his eligibility was done he was not going to receive any entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program.

“The VA had a change of heart on that matter, however, and extended the eligibility to 48 months, allowing me the extra 12 months,” Lorscheider said.

The Post-9/11 Bill has encountered a big problem in the few months that it has been in effect. Payments to student veterans that were supposed to cover tuition, books and rent for Fall Semester 2009 were delayed for months and left these veterans with next to nothing to live on.

“At first the delay was understandable, I've dealt with the VA for the past 5 years and I'm used to these types of things, and I understand that to implement a program the size of the GI Bill takes time and a lot of hard work. But by the middle of September, they took ‘four to six weeks’ and changed it to ‘eight to ten weeks’ and then ‘ten to twelve weeks’ which is when I realized that I simply did not have the resources to hold out for that long,” Lorscheider explained. “The stress was incredible; I honestly think that it was the most stressful time in my life since my combat tour.”

Because of the delays in payments, the Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, Retired U.S. Army General Eric K. Shinseki approved one-time 3,000 dollar advance payment checks to veterans who did not receive their benefits on time.

“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,” said Shinseki on the VA’s GI Bill website. “But it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”

The delays in Lorscheider’s benefits made him eligible for the advance payment checks.

“Had it not been for the advance, I would have been evicted in October,” he said.

Despite the advancement check Lorscheider called it a “temporary patch”. It didn’t solve the problem that he had no reliable income, so he decided to take make a tactical decision.

“I wanted people to know what was going on, because I believe that if the average American knows that veterans aren't being treated right, they'll step up and help us...,” he stated.

Lorscheider began to write e-mails to the White House, Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-37th District, Calif.), Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and every newspaper he could think of.

“I made the point in all these emails that this is not just play around money, this is money to live on while we go to school, it's supposed to cover our living expenses. I also wanted people to understand that we're not a bunch of whiners looking for a handout...,” Lorscheider said.

Luckily Lorscheider received his back check from the VA in mid-November and it seems that everything has been going well since. However, students, including Lorscheider, might not be out of the woods yet. The VA is going to be flooded with benefit applications for the upcoming Spring 2010 semester. Currently The Department of Veterans Affairs Education Call Center is closed on Thursdays and Fridays so their staff can process education benefit claims.

When asked if he was worried about the same delays happening in the next few months Lorscheider said, “I’m slightly concerned about spring semester. But I did receive two unexpected payments from (the) VA last week, I’m thinking that’s a sign that everything is due to kick on for the Spring.”

On tougher note Corporal Lorscheider is ready to do battle if things were to go wrong with his benefits again,

“The VA better hope things go smoothly, or else I'm marching into Congresswoman Richardson's office and demanding that heads roll...hell I might just run for congress myself.”