#1: Victory is mine!

My first goal on my 101 in 1001 list was to blog everyday for a month. I've achieved a goal!

This being my 31st entry, maybe I should write about achieving a goal...

It feels pretty good to be able to cross off the first thing on my list. There are a couple more entries that are still to come, but those were started on the days of their post date. It's been difficult to come up with topics to write about every day, but at the same time I feel inspired daily by random conversations or interesting finds. I never really know what I'm going to write about.

I think that achieving a goal enables you to move forward with more goals. Discouragement is the number one killer of goals. Goals are easy to set, but so hard to complete. We get distracted, discouraged, and then the goal becomes irrelevant to us. The key is to keep goals relevant and worth working towards.

Here's to achieving goals set forth!

Not a fan of the fake.

Fake tan, fake boobs, fake smile.

Come on, let's be real.

There are so many products out there enabling one to be fake. I understand that sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures, but seriously, is it worth it? $20,000 plastic surgery. Injecting poison into your face. Lotions that turn your skin orange. Veneers. What about working out? Taking care of your skin? Tanning safely? Braces? I know that these logical fixes don't work for everyone, but how do the former items measure up?

I was watching oh-so-fab Carson Kressley's new show How to Look Good Naked and it featured a woman who was 37 and already had 3 plastic surgeries. She was prepping for her fourth. And she was still dissatisfied with her body. I thought she looked pretty great for her age, but all she could focus on was the negative and what she hated about her body. Even with constant praise from her husband, she zoned in on what could or should be improved. Luckily, Carson was able to improve her sad outlook on life and convince her to remember her positive characteristics, so as not to instill negative body image into the brains of her daughters.

There's a commercial on TV for Restalyne. A woman in the commercial states that she uses it to "fake her age, because her boyfriend/husband thinks she's younger". I thought that to be a horrible sentiment. How are you supposed to build a relationship on lies? Maybe I'm just taking the moral high-ground. Or maybe our society has just become so focused on looks and aging that we convince 30-year-olds that they need botox. Or that it's acceptable to give a 17-year-old breast implants as a birthday present. Talk about tossing yourself out of the running for "Parent of the Year" award.

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of the fake. Fake parts of people or fake people in general. Like today, a woman that I don't directly work with asked me a question in the kitchen today. "So you're an unofficial project manager?" I looked at her quite puzzled, and said, "who me?" She smiled with her very artificial smile and continued her kooky comment. Let it be said that she's NEVER talked to me before. And the only time that I've slightly interacted with her was when I "caught" her cursing down the hallway dropping f-bombs. Yikes.

Why be fake nice? It would just save a bunch of time if we were real. Of course in terms of job security, it may not be a good idea.

Hoops and Yoyo

Whenever I'm feeling stressed or bored for that matter, I turn to Hoops and Yoyo for an immediate burst of amusement and hilarity. They always help make everything else seem inconsequential. Or as a former co-worker said, "It was all that would get me through the day sometimes."

I can't say that I've ever had it quite that bad at work, but I do love me some Hoops and Yoyo. I download their calendar every month to spice up my cubicle. You take what you can get, right? And if you go to www.hoopsandyoyo.com, the start page is bound to make you giggle, even a little bit. If you don't find it funny, then you must not have a personality or sense of humor. Don't be boring. Check them out.

There's also other printable stuff such as signs and gift tags. Although, I don't use any Hoops and Yoyo signs to indicate that I've wandered off somewhere, like some other ex-coworker who got served her walking papers. It wasn't so much the Hoops and Yoyo paraphernalia, it was more the fact that she'd hide in the filing room and read a newspaper, exercise and hang out in the windowless gym, or meander off to who knows where and have her Out of Office message on. She was weird. I'm sure she continues to be weird. Nonetheless, Hoops and Yoyo is awesome for a quick "pick-me-up".

I'm not a foodie.

There are a lot of blogs out there for food lovers. While I consider myself a definite lover of food. I am not a foodie.

I don't get excited over a $60 burger. I figure I can get one for a fraction of the price and will be just as good. Maybe I have an unsophisticated palate. I don't think eating caviar or foie gras is something to get excited about. I wouldn't be able to give it a review. I couldn't describe the subtleties or the textures or the flavor. It just doesn't matter that much to me.

This is not to say that I don't enjoy a wide variety of cuisine. My current favorite is Malaysian/Singaporean. I eat sushi and love French food. I'll try anything once. Fancy restaurants don't impress me that much; I think I get a little sick when I see the price they want to charge for an itty bitty plate of food. I had a friend who went to the Paul Bocuse restaurant in Lyon, France and had a ten course meal. She also dropped like 500 euro on it. I'd rather take that money and travel. I think that you can eat well, but it doesn't have to be pretentious or expensive. As long as I'm fed, I'm happy. Don't need to win me over with overly gourmet food. Chances are I won't like it anyway.

The Happy Hooker...

No, not me. It's my book by the Stitch 'n Bitch series. Only instead of knitting it's crocheting.

I'm not coordinated enough to knit. Actually, I think using the knitting needles gives me tinges of carpal tunnel. Anyway, I know some people who create fantastic things on their needles - Bethro and Jess. I found my calling in crochet. I find it much easier to wield a single hook than trying to manipulate two sticks. Plus, I have a tendency to pull things too tight, and thus enabling the carpal tunnel syndrome to creep up.

I've been practicing different stitches in crochet, and I'm finally getting the hang of it. Over the Christmas season, I cranked out 4 blankets -- two with the same pattern, but different colors, one with thick yarn, and another using 3 different shades of chenille yarn. The first three are keeping me warm until the Spring hits and I'm no longer freezing. The fourth blanket I sent to Italy to keep my best bud Maggie warm. That one took a lot of work and a lot of yarn. I will post the picture up once I find it.

My sister was the one who inspired me to try crochet. I think it was two winters ago when she started on a crochet project. Being bored and unemployed at the time, I thought, "Why not?" So I bought my own crochet hooks and some yarn. She had to teach me how to do the stitches at first, but after probably five or six tries, I finally got the hang of it. I produced a bunch of scarves that winter. I'm still trying to reproduce the pattern without buying the accompanying yarn! No luck yet.

I also find it very therapeutic after a long day of dealing with paperwork, people, and patience. It keeps my dexterity in check and also, in a way, prevents me from stuffing my face with junk since my hands are busy. My sister gave me The Happy Hooker by Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet for Christmas. There are some projects that look fun and challenging. Plus, who doesn't want to be an honest Happy Hooker?

The thing about interest rates...

It causes your savings account to get its rates cut too!

So our economy is pretty much in the toilet. 1 sterling pound is worth $2.05. 1 Euro is worth $1.47. Stocks are falling. People are getting worried. People aren't spending as much money to keep the economy going. The unfortunate truth about the stock market is that it's mainly fueled through speculation and feeling. If it's fear, people hold onto their money. If it's confident, people will spend their money.

I understand that the idea behind "economic stimulus" program is that it hopes to boost the economy. By giving people "free" money, we'll be inclined to spend money we didn't think that we would have. Personally when I get a check from Uncle Sam, I think I'm going to save it and let my interest-bearing account do it's job. Especially since the APY went down .25%.

I can't wait for some serious change. Super Tuesday should be really interesting to see how our future as a country is going to look. When we hit the all time low, we've got to be able to rebound and restore the prowess of this country.

Money Matters

I'm definitely one of those people who freaks out about money. I worry about if I will have enough and even if I will be able to retire. I turn 25 this year. Now some people may find this a little irrational, and other may think it's great that I have some forethought.

In order to quell some of the "freak out" storm, I've turned to a trusty website CNN Money. I've found many helpful tips from the site and links to other useful websites. I've also read a couple of Personal Finance books, including David Bach's Smart Women Finish Rich, Jean Chatzky's Make Money, Not Excuses, and Michelle Singletary's Your Money and Your Man. All basically advise on the same points: spend less than you earn, make the money you have work for you, and be prepared for the unexpected.

These tenets seem simple enough to follow, until you see your bills stack up. Then they start to seem a little more difficult to attend to. However, I have made these principles work for me. I finally set up an "emergency" stash of money that "pays" itself each time I get paid. I budgeted a certain amount to be direct deposited, and since I don't see it, it makes saving that much easier. I also set up an IRA to contribute an extra amount in addition to what my 401(k) already saves. Direct deposits are a wonderful thing.

I pay my bills online whenever possible, which decreases the paper trail and carbon footprint, while also making it easier to keep track of what is going where. Most of the time I'm pretty good about spending within my means, except for around the holidays when spending seems to go into a frenzy. As a general personal principle, I try my best not to carry any credit card debt. I may not be able to go out to eat, but I won't be paying 15-19% interest for letting the balance sit. Even with my meager pay, I make it work.

I also discovered a new website, thanks to CNN Money, called Mint.com, which allows you to log into your accounts and then it analyzes your spending and offers suggestions to save money. You can also compare your spending habits to the national average and averages from big cities. It's pretty interesting to see where all your money is going once it's laid out in front of you.

IMHO: in my humble opinion...

I'm very opinionated. I'm pretty sure I inherited that trait from my mother.

This also explains why I can be so judgmental. I'm ready and willing to jump down someone's throat at the drop of a hat, if need be. I tend to not give people the full chance that they deserve. Did I mention that I often think I'm right? But I'm not overly self-righteous like some people that I have met. I have my opinions and I stick by them.

I understand the notion of venting. I know that it helps people process their feelings about certain topics and events, as well as enabling better self-expression. However, dwelling on a situation isn't going to fix it. Instead a solution needs to be formulated or finding some kind of compromise in order to move forward.

At work, we had a meeting with our Accounts Payable group, who is notoriously known for incorrectly processing requests and incurring major delays in paying vendors. Not exactly an ideal situation for those paying individuals and corporations under contract. I found the meeting to be mostly useless and more like a forum for expressing complaints and pointing the finger. While I admit that I would quickly point my finger at them, I do also think that all the blame does not lay with the AP group. Rather, it's a split. Human error and blatant mistakes. Plus a very high turnover rate.

After the meeting some people proceeded to talk about it again and again. Give the poor horse a break! I get it. People make connections by relating to each other. In this case it was the meeting. However, considering that I found the meeting to be so frustrating and aggravating to begin with, I wasn't in the mood to listen to more complaints about the same thing. I agree that the situation is aggravating, but hashing and rehashing is not going to get anyone anywhere.

In my humble opinion, talking about it once and move on! Save the complaints for real things, like wannabe rockstars and always-absent assistants.

Simply Recipes

In my current efforts to learn how to cook and do it well, I've discovered a fantastic website - SimplyRecipes.com. I originally found the link a couple of months ago through an online search for my favorite salad in the world - Salade Lyonnaise. Although the recipe is slightly altered from the real Lyonnaise version I remember from Le Gros Caillou and other restauranteurs, it still does the job. Poached eggs, lardons, and a vinaigrette dressing? Who could resist?

Simply Recipes offers a wide variety of tried and true dishes that Elise and her family have actually prepared. It's a great resource for cooks and non-cooks alike, especially for finding dinner ideas or party dishes. All with delicious photos to stare at. Just browsing the pages makes me want to dive into the kitchen. (Which hasn't happened yet, btw).

My most recent adventure in the kitchen was during the Christmas season when I was baking up a storm. I have yet to venture into the savory dishes. I think that's what I'm most scared of. When I was 12, I tried to make some kind of casserole for a class party or presentation. It didn't turn out like the picture. I think that was the moment I became discouraged in the kitchen. The last thing I made was in 8th grade -- Deviled eggs. And I never tried one (maybe because I put so much pepper and cayenne and paprika), I figured I'd never eat it. Wait -- I guess I have cooked one thing well on a few occasions -- Curry.

I'm more confident about baking, but "real" food, is a little beyond me. I'm going to try it though. It's my new outlook on this year.

And just in time for SuperBowl weekend: diverse selection of chili recipes.

**photo from Simply Recipes**

Class starts!

Photoshop 101.

I went to the first day of class this evening, and boy it was packed. Luckily, I'm already enrolled in the class and I don't have to go through the "add-list" mess. I was also fortunate not to have to share a computer with anyone. The class capacity is 19. 38 people showed up. I must have had my game face on.

I'm taking the course with the same instructor as the Illustrator class I took in the Fall. I'm looking forward to learning more about bitmapped images, since all last semester was vector images. Wow, I just read that last sentence and I sound like a design geek. I'm comfortable with that. I hope that I can call myself a "design geek" and produce fabulous designs.

My pet peeve, however, are the people who ask questions that were just covered. I don't mind questions that haven't been asked. But don't ask the same question that the instructor just uttered the answer to minutes ago! Hello?! Are you trying to show 37 other people that you weren't paying attention? While I wasn't paying full attention (I heard the first day spiel last semester), I was listening and looking out for any relevant information.

Here I go. New class. New classmates...

It's called your Wedding DAY for a reason.

A wedding lasts a day.














But these television shows want to make it last a lifetime. I understand the concept of having your "perfect" wedding day, because that's what it is or should be -- a wedding day. With the rapid influx of wedding-related programming, bride-to-be's get stars in their eyes and false ideas of what their wedding should be.

Just because Britney Spears had a white-trash wedding, does that mean you want one too? Look at what happened to her. HOT MESS. Eva Longoria Parker got married at a castle in France, but I don't think my non-celebrity status will get me through the gates and bodyguards anytime soon. And I just saw an episode of Platinum Weddings where the bride's parents spent an obscene amount of money, and all I could think was "I wonder how long that's going to last..."

I don't oppose marriage, nor do I have a cynical outlook about the general institution of marriage. I believe that two people can come together, love each other, be each other's best friend, and live with each other until "death do they part". However, when there is a grand hullabaloo and hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars are being spent on one day, it makes me ill. To think about what all that money could have been spent on, and some spoiled couple get a day or a weekend of ostentatiousness. It's rather ridiculous. And it makes me wonder, "Are they trying to prove their love with how much they can spend?"

I've heard on these shows where the mother of the bride declares that she's been waiting for the day when she could plan her daughter's wedding. I think that if you can drop $300 grand on a day, you might as well buy them a house too. Then again, it is parents and couples with this kind of mentality that has grown the wedding industry into a multi-BILLION dollar industry. I would capitalize on that if I could.

Now when it comes to my own, sometime down the line, I don't want anything super flashy. As long as everyone has fun, I would be happy. I'm one of those people who'd rather save for a house and a life together, then blowing a wad on a day. A marriage is supposed to last a lifetime, and if you splurge on everything for your wedding day, who's to say that's going to last?

**banners from WeTV**

Job Satisfaction

Does it exist?

I wonder to myself everyday if there is someone out there who can truly say that they are satisfied with their job. I guess I should qualify the term "satisfaction" with "happiness". Are you happy with your job? Does the pay suit your needs (not wants)? Do you enjoy who you work with? At the end of the day do you feel like you've made a difference? Perhaps those who are self-employed, who called themselves "boss", might qualify. But I really want to know, is there such a thing as job satisfaction?

"They" say that people of my generation are classified as "Generation Y". From Wikipedia: According to the book, Thriving & Surviving with Generation Y at work: , Peter Sheahan , internationally recognised expert on Generation Y, says it is essential that we look at more than traditional forms of monetary compensation to motivate the new talent force."They’re after a sense of purpose, work-life balance, fun, variety, respect, and the opportunity to do ‘real’ work that makes a difference. Arguably everyone wants these things from a job but the difference with Generation Y is they’ll talk with their feet when their needs are not fulfilled." I can see this. I may think like this at times. We're also considered to have the mentality of "looking for the next best thing" if our current job isn't up to par.

I think that I am in one of those lulls between being happy with my current position and wanting something more. More responsibility (maybe), more money (definitely), more respect (of course!) Unfortunately, at this company, room for advancement is on hold at the moment. I enjoy my colleagues and my boss is fantastic, but those things can only keep me for so long. Something is just telling me that "it's time."

So the question is do I take the easy route or the more difficult journey? Stay in the comforts of my cube (although I want an office) or set out to find the next best thing?