i love cake like a fat kid loves cake

my boss approached me today bearing a gift: a tin full o' homemade goodies.



oh yes, it was divine. delectable. delicious. delightful.

hmm, so much so it merited an alliteration devoted to its decadence (ok i'll stop!). i ate the christmas tree, the hershey's kiss cookie, and a piece of fudge. then i put it out of my sight, and later i dropped it off at my mom's house. too much temptation-- i don't want to work out THAT much!

tomorrow i have to wake up early for my fitness routine; i have work early in the day. okay... 10 AM is early for me. we also have a christmas potluck for which i will be baking a hawaiian wedding cake. i wish i could just bake all day. to me, cooking is ehhhh. baking is much more fun.

what's not fun: going through holiday receipts.



my wallet barely closes... the ridiculousness of the holidays. don't get me wrong-- i love buying gifts. it's the financial maintenance that drives me bonkers. it would be so dandy not to have that responsibility.

random: i was thinking about the conference i attended the other day; in particular, i was thinking about the e-mail session. i attended this session because i thought we would discuss the formalities of the e-mail and how to improve purposeful writing. i'm quite verbose, and i feel it is conveyed in my e-mails. brief and cogent. that's what i wanted.

but no. it was about grammar. GRAMMAR!!! i felt as if i had an eighth grade flashback. we deliberated over semi-colons, pronouns, misplaced modifiers; there was also a semi-heated debate over whether there should be one/two spaces after a period. i think i about had a heart attack. i suppose it's better to be informed than to go on seeming inept at english grammar. yep, i am a grammar snob. i know i don't know everything there is to know, but i do make efforts to be correct.

hectic holi-daze!

the holidays are always a happy yet stressful time for us. this year we are hosting christmas eve dinner at our house for his family. i am very excited; we plan to do a hawaiian themed dinner! i also want to make a pumpkin cream pie for dessert (not so hawaiian) that is oh-so-delicious. i can't wait! i'm just crossing my fingers because my culinary skills are extremely novice.

here are my resources:















it's a lot to read through! and i thought school was over for the semester...

today was a packed day. this morning j came home from work and we made breakfast together. this meal has been a "tradition" for us when he works his current schedule. this morning we made a poached egg/bacon sandwich with hawaiian bread. it was ridiculously delicious (i'm trying to be better at posting pictures). the bread is not particularly healthy, but poached eggs are always yummy and healthy; we microwaved our bacon so there is less fat, and it is still crispy!

i also spent the day with ma mere. we went shopping and had lunch (pho lan). here are some goodies my the shopping extravaganza:















pair of nine west heels for... (drum roll, please)... 12.99!




a skirt for work/dress from jcpenney for 16.99. i'm a sucker for business dress. honestly, it justifies my shopping habit (BAHAHA) because it's "for work."




a little bit of the detail. i think it modernizes the pinstripe pencil skirt. you can't tell, but the pinstripes are actually green :]




we also went to petsmart where much of the holiday treats/toys were half off. we always spoil our fur-children. the stocking is filled with gingerbread men, reindeer heads (creepy?), and snowmen. maile is investigating.

after that, my sister and i did a 4.5 mile run at the local park. i wish there were longer tracks on my side of town, but alas, what can we do? i have the treadmill, but it gets so boring-- even with a TV. we are both logging longer runs-- it's very exciting. it's definitely motivating to have a running partner. thanks big sis!

since it's winter break, i have decided to indulge in some recreational reading.




first three dexter novels, jeff lindsay (there are four total)
the tipping point, malcolm gladwell
marley & me, john grogan

i know it's quite ambitious. i'm about 1/4 through with the first dexter novel, and it's a pretty easy read. i'm resolved to broaden my literary horizons and not be restricted by (forced) academic reading. i have also started the tipping point... yeah, i try to multitask when it comes to reading. good for me? probably not.

until next time!

academia and the workforce

i had an interesting conversation with a co-worker today about education. after i graduate from UCO, i plan to pursue my masters degree in organizational communication or education (training & development track). i would love to be a communication consultant or trainer. i really like connecting with people and analyzing different corporations and organizations. i'd compare it to the way scientists love to study the human body and how it works.

therefore, we began thinking: what inspires others to choose their major? working in the financial industry, many of our colleagues choose a business/finance route (it's the rational choice), a decision that the "higher-ups" heartily encourage. it's a decision that many make much to my chagrin; why not do something you love? i know: it's idealistic. some may even think elitist. we all need to pay the bills (hello, maslow's hierarchy of needs). i know everyone can't follow that typical linear lifestyle of "graduate-get a job-get married-have kids-retire." yet if you are going to invest in education, and you're not following your passion, then in what direction is your life going? how do you plan to make an impact? if you have a family, how do you think this is impacting their lives and futures? i wish looking beyond the day-to-day is so simple.

in communication, i'm particularly interested in gender/ethnicity studies. societal construction of what is the "norm" affects our expectations of life. it is communicated through everyone and everything. we are entrenched in conventional thought:

- 25% and 33% of men and women, respectively, believe if the woman works outside the home it has a negative impact on her family
- is it really a "domestic dispute" used when a man brutally beats his wife?
-the term "sexual harassment" was not coined until the 70s, so does that mean it wasn't happening until then?
-why do men have the pressure to be the breadwinners/financially successful?

i am a feminist, but unfortunately that term has come to mean "femi-nazi." these statements are based on statistics, and statistically/historically, women have been the oppressed sex. if an individual claimed to be feminist, what is (usually) the initial thought? ok... i recently took a communication & gender class that has completely changed the way i think about society and culture. it's amazing how aware one is when exposed to multiple perspectives.

"nice"

pardon me for being flippant, uncaring, and cold-hearted: today, i did NOT want to buy a birthday present for a child.

i am not insensitive and unsympathetic, and i actually like children. however, i am offended by others' lack of competence when it comes to being considerate and generous. no, i do not believe i am the most considerate or generous person; i do believe that i possess a general understanding of these human expressions/notions, and that i express said notions appropriately.

therefore, let me explain the situation more clearly: there is a couple with whom we are acquainted, who has on numerous occasions, shown their ignorance and thoughtlessness when it comes to simple consideration; i.e., when they are invited to someone's house, they do not bring (drink/snack/___). instead, they reach their [grubby] hands into your (ok... my) fridge and plainly exclaim, "i'm taking a beer, mmm-kay?" take into consideration that this action follows their voracious consumption of food that leaves practical scraps for the rest of the guests.

oh, and this is not the first incident. one of many, in fact.

it doesn't alleviate my growing animosity that mutual friends have similar and several anecdotes to confirm my judgment of this couple. it doesn't help that i helped throw [money at] a baby shower for this couple-- including the gift-- for which i received not a smidgen of appreciation or gratitude. it doesn't assuage my irritation when the couple is constantly borrowing money or bumming cigarettes (even from strangers). lastly, it definitely doesn't mitigate the situation when i am forced to buy a present for their child (in my mind, for THEM) when i feel they don't deserve it. and when i begrudgingly agree, i am chided for my pettiness and spite. i am reminded that we should not punish the child [that we rarely see] for her parents' misgivings. i am shamed for thinking such petulant thoughts. so we buy her a birthday gift. oh, and we weren't even invited to the party.

result: resentment.

my question is, why must we take the high road? i feel as if i'm hoarding these feelings that are quickly turning noxious. i have said something once (grubby-hand-in-fridge incident) and immediately, i felt bitchy. just one beer, right? but it's been numerous beers (or other items) on several occasions with different people. one could argue that it's not my business, but if it happens at my house, it is. others can remain silent, but it's only reaffirming their behavior and fueling the rants. i'm already highly passive-aggressive, so i don't need another thing to add to my plate (that's another blog).

sigh. the end.