Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Time Flies

How is it already Wednesday?

Another early morning. Work by 7 every day this week and 5:30 am on Saturday. At least I get out when it's still light out. It's all this rush rush rush for another week and on December 26th it's all over. No one remembers why we were there 80 bazillion extra hours in December on the day after Christmas. They started taking down Christmas decorations today at work. What are you putting up next!?!?!? Swimsuits? Oh wait, they're coming, we have some already. Oh work makes me tired, bitter and hungry for a new challenge.

I can't wait to come home, let's be honest. I can't wait to get away from work. It's tiring me out. This whole season is all about amateur shoppers. Even before working retail I don't think I made the person at the register this nuts. I'm pretty sure I roll my eyes after half of all customers. How could they be so stupid? If I get another question about where socks are and I tell them to look 6 feet away from where they are I might explode.

I can't wait until I go home. I want to chat about work; what I'm good at, what kind of environment I want to work in, who I want to work for, how I can grow more confident in interviewing and setting them up. I want to get out of Herbs and turn the page, not erase it, not tear it out, just turn it.

I also want to play in the snow, take pictures, eat fruit soup! and mom's breakfast!. I want to watch football with Eric and talk to Mark about steroids and the NY Yankees. I want to hang out with Eleanor, talk to Em about anything and get Meg whatever she needs! (for a day or two anyway) I want to create a new outfit for Dad to wear when he comes to MN and help Mom cook Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner.

I just wish Katy could have come too. I will miss her family fun and tradition as well. I'd get to open my presents early with her family!

Let's just hope I don't wake up tomorrow and have it be next Wednesday!

Time Flies.


Dear Lord,

I pray that you will watch over and take care of Grams. But if now is the time...at least she will be with my Grandpa.

Love you Grandma K...

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your ultimate Christmas gift. How I realize it more and more each year.

Amen

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Someone Dropped A Bomb On Baseball

George Mitchell, a former US Senator from Maine finally came out with his report on steroids in Major League Baseball. It was quite a long list of names including MVP's, Cy Young winners and All-Stars among the numerous insignificant players. I was looking forward to it this morning as I was talking to a younger manager at Herbs. He was interested in seeing who was on the list, as was I.

Anyway, here are random thoughts randomly ordered.

When will some one be honest, be humble, and come forward and tell the truth? Step up someone!

Why does a former United States Senator, George Mitchell, hand names to the public and those players still deny what they did? Is the stereotype of athletes being stupid coming true here? They all "didn't know" what they or others were poking them in the butt with? I will not purchase that argument. I don't think that you should either.

Well then. If we should assume that all athletes are so dumb that they just do what they are told then why do we have so many loud mouths and irresponsible athletes out there shooting at, getting shot at and doing stupid things. Should the investigation move to the training staffs, athletic trainers and doctors of the teams? Should we do two years of researching and interviewing to find out motives and interests of every doctor and trainer?

ESPN Baseball Analyst John Kruk said that the players names should all be kept in house. (within MLB, I'm assuming but "in house") How does Kruk think this should be in house? There's onflict of interest with drug testing "in house" as he wants. It can't happen fairly. Why should the names NOT be released? I need to do some further thinking on that one.

I think Kruk just might want to protect his friends from the union. I don't know. I haven't been a MLB baseball player nor will I ever become one or probably ever understand them completely. But I do know that releasing the names might make one or two of these guys accountable to someone or something.

Do any of these guys have charity organizations set up? What's that organization looking like now?

It was a "soft" report. I still feel, or the media still feels, that this aren't proven facts. It seems to be reported recollections of conversations and memory. Tony Kornheiser is troubled with the lack of proof and so am I as he stated on his TV show on ESPN, Pardon The Interruption.

There are 78 names on this list and not one of them will man up and tell society what really happened? AT LEAST in his own personal case?

Most players listed were marginal players, let's be honest. There were some pretty darn good players on this list, however, they would not make a great All-Time Team. They could field a team, and a pretty good team but you've got a ton of Mark Carreon's, Steven Randolph's, Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich's in there. Who are they? I know of David Segui, Hal Morris, Ryan Franklin, Chuck Knoblauch, Jack Cust are though. Evidence suggests that with or without enhancement, they're still a pretty normal group of players. Steroids didn't bring them to greatness, it seems it just kept them in the game longer or productive for another couple years. So then, the question presents itself, why did you take steroids? Or why at least is your name associated with steroids? Can any one of these fine gentlemen tell us anything new and informative?

As my brother in law would say, "craziness!" Can't wait to hear more about it and read some of this 409 page pdf I have on my desktop.

See all of the players here.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Off Task

I'm supposed to be prepping for Bethel's basketball game vs. North Central on Wednesday but I can't concentrate on it.

I've created somewhat of a template for getting ready for games but it's still not making it go any faster because Bethel's new new athletics website that isn't completely loaded with all of the history that's needed and because North Central's athletics website is terrible. Now St. Thomas' athletics website is much better, maybe I should have gone there.

Ok, so I've had today off. I got some things done this morning/afternoon but I started prepping for the Bethel game again and all I saw was dust. Dust dust dust. Got it? I think it's one of my pet peeves. I can't stand it. I have too much clutter and junk around my desk and this 25 square foot apartment that I need a bigger space to spread out the junk, and the dust. Nothing is easy to clean so as I sat here in front of my computer with the sun shining on my desk, all I could see was dust. And it annoyed me. I cleaned it. And earlier today I vacuumed the place. Again though, there's junk all over and you can't move that monstrous vacuum around easy enough.

I want to come home for Christmas. I want to quit so bad, just because I want to be home for Christmas.

I want to hang out with E3 alot as well as M3 (?). I think I'm calling her Maya. Ok Meg? :)

Anyway, I want to be home and come with Katy and sit at the table with everyone and eat fruit soup and that egg and bread bake, Mom puts together.

I want to test my patience on how long I can wait to open presents. I want to see people's reactions to what I got them. It's priceless. I want to steal one of Dad's cordial cherries, look at the clock and see 10:33 am. I want to see if Megan is as crabby as Emily was last year when she was prego. I want to SEE it; not HEAR about it.

I just want to be together for Christmas.

Time to go...prep for Bethel's game and wait for Nick to call. I'm supposed to help him move in.

Monday, December 3, 2007

It Snowed and GradStaff Interview

It's beginning to look a lot like winter here. We got 4.5 inches of snow Saturday morning and afternoon and might get another inch or two from an alberta clipper tomorrow morning and afternoon. It's okay though, I invested in some long underwear. Merry Christmas to me!

Yep, I started my Christmas shopping with Katy this Saturday morning. I didn't get a whole lot done but I checked a few things off the list. I'll have to make an adjustment for Eleanor though. Apparently someone beat me to a snowsuit. :( Ah well.

Saturday, Katy came with me to watch the basketball game at Bethel. Then we hung out for a little while before she went home...

Yesterday we went to a Smorgasboard at Covenant Village where her Grandparents live. We ate fruit soup, pickled herring, ham, meatballs, korv, lefse. Mmmm, Sweedish.

That was about it for the weekend though.

Oh, I finally have an interview with GradStaff. It's Thursday morning at 10:30 and should be 60-90 minutes. They emailed me what to do and how to prepare so give me some ideas of what I could write/say for these situations.

How to prepare:

We will be conducting a behavioral-based interview which will help us understand both your qualifications (skills) and your motivations (career interests). Please come prepared to give specific situations where you have used the following skills:

1) Analytical/Problem-solving
2) Communication
3) Interpersonal
4) Organizational/Administrative
5) Initiative
6) Leadership

You should expect your interview to last approximately 60 to 90 minutes.

So, got any ideas with me?

Until next time...