Some fun things

Man I feel like I haven't written in forever! Not a habit that I want to fall into since I really do like writing, and I guess there are people out there that like to read me (read me?). Some funny things have been goin on that I'd like to share.

1. Fitbit: my new obsession. It's basically an awesome pedometer (those are how many steps I've taken today!) that you sync online to track your activity. You can even get fancy and log what you've eaten, your current weight, and any weight loss goals that you might have. I've loved having this thing at work, where in one single shift I will walk at least 10,000 steps (5 miles!). It's a little harder to meet that 10,000 steps a day goal on my days off but having it prompts me to move as much as I can instead of gluing my butt to the couch. If you're interested you can purchase online at www.fitbit.com (it's $99, pricey but worth it!).

2. This jewel (complete with phone number) was written on my table's credit card slip the other night. It was a table of 5 attractive guys, although I'm not sure whose number it is. Of course if you quote Carly Rae Jepson then I have to at least shoot you a text; some people think it's lame but I think "Call Me Maybe" is a funny pick-up line. Unfortunately, from what I've learned, these guys are only sophomores at the Naval Academy. Not trying to holler at youngins.

So that's pretty much what's been goin on in my relatively boring life. T-minus 2 weeks till Atlanta!!!

The Straw that Broke this Camel's Back

Here I go complaining again, but I just have to say that I'm at my wit's end with work. How many times can I express how much I hate being treated like someone's servant with little to no reward? I told off a customer today.

A real crowd pleaser for my French Canadian customers who are currently occupying the beach in droves. 

Here's what happened: 2 young boys, really shifty types, dine in. I serve them, having to get them like 3 refills each with hardly any thanks. This is the type of table that I just get a bad feeling about, so I watch them like a hawk to make sure that they don't duck out before paying (oh yes I've had this happened in the past). They do end up paying but I can clearly see that there's no tip. Outside they are just walking away with that young kid swagger, one putting a cig in his mouth (and there's no way he's old enough to buy cigarettes). I'm just sitting there fuming, finally having experienced one hit too many, and wishing that I had the balls to go out and say something.

Meanwhile, the ever efficient bus boy (ha. just kidding, we all know they've been a wee bit lazy this summer) comes to bus the table. I notice that there's a pack of cigarettes on the ground by the kids' table that is thrown away. After the table is all cleaned I see one of the boys come back in, he's circling near the table he sat at obviously looking for something on the floor. I just laugh knowing that the kid (because that's what he is, can't be more than 16) is looking for his smokes. But finally, here's my chance! So with my heart pounding and the adrenaline rushing I say "Oh did you leave something?" No answer. "Because there was no tip left on the table." Stopped dead in his tracks. "You know I get $2 an hour, so thanks" as he mumbles something and hurriedly leaves.

No, I didn't end up getting a tip, but the satisfaction that I got was reward enough. Now if only the tables I had after had tipped more than 7%...

Growing up is hard to do...

...it really is. College is that time when you're an adult with training wheels (the wheels being the financial/emotional support of parents). I like the idea of a tricycle better than the analogy about leaving the nest because with a nest there's no middle ground, you've either left or haven't, and I don't know about you but I'm not totally independent yet. I pay for some things but I definitely have help with a majority of things.

I think it's hard for parents too, seeing their children become independent and make their own choices. We are basically conditioned from birth to look up to/trust in the judgement of our parents, but there definitely comes a time when opinions will differ. I had this happen when I was making the decision to go to grad school instead of entering the workforce. I think my parents would maybe have preferred that I get a job instead (if my mom grabbing my computer saying 'here I'll find you a job" is any indication). But I knew that 1. getting a job is not that easy and 2. I needed a master's degree in order to get the type of job I wanted. So I had to make this adult choice on my own, and while my parents may not have been completely involved in the process, I'm lucky that I have their support and their vote of confidence in me.

Oh to be young again.

When do you hit that point of complete independence? When will I officially leave the nest? Maybe once I get a real job and can start paying off my loans on my own. Once that happens I'll be sure to find some way to repay my parents for all the gifts they've given to me.

An Advantage of Moving Far Far Away

In addition to a fresh start socially/professionally, I get a metaphorical fresh start in the form of a new apartment. Woot woot! If I don't stay excited I will quickly get overwhelmed will the prospect of having to decide what's important enough to take with me as I pack up my life.

If you ever get that fresh school supply excitement that comes at the beginning of each school year, that's the feeling that I'm getting about moving into a new place. I hate clutter/love beautiful interiors, so  this is the type of fresh slate I'm looking forward to.

I've been compiling images (thanks to my love of pinterest, tumblr, and exploring new blogs) of examples of the type of space I would like to create in my new apartment. I'm limited furniture wise because it already comes fully furnished, but I've learned that accessories and little accents definitely go a long way at enhancing a space. Here's a look at some of the images that I'm loving lately:

Caitlin Wilson Textiles

via pinterest

via pinterest

via the Glitter Guide

via pinterest

Caitlin Wilson Textiles

I would love love a white bedspread with colorful/patterned throw pillows but I'm afraid that white would get dirty. I know this is weird, but I don't like to sleep under the covers (I have a separate thinner blanket that I use) so that doubly increases my fears that white would get dirty. That problem has yet to be solved, but I'm looking forward to my next trip to Target!

In Memoriam: Jessica Redfield

I want to start off by thanking Ms. Lacey LeBleu for originally sharing this on her facebook. This has haunted me ever since I read about it last night, and I just thought I'd share this with everyone. Doesn't hurt to have a reminder of how precious life is every once and a while in order to put things in perspective.

Rip Jessica. via her blog

Click here to read about Jessica's thoughts on narrowly missing the shooting at a Toronto food court. Driven by a gut feeling, Jessica left the mall seconds before a gunman opened fire in the location where she had eaten minutes before. She survived to tell about this only to be tragically killed in the Aurora, CO theater shooting a mere month and a half later.

As Jessica so perfectly put it, you really never know when your time is going to come, and it's up to us to squeeze every ounce of life we can out of the time we have and to savour every moment, no matter how mundane it may seem.

Being Brave & Some Lessons from Katie

Being a post-grad (but this could really apply to any point in a person's life) means that we are going through a lot of scary transitions, and I'm not talking about puberty here. What I'm saying is that now is the time when we have to uproot ourselves from the place where we've lived for 4 years and move on to something different, whether that be grad school, a new job, or even moving back home. Regardless, the majority of us are finding ourselves in very different life situations, and that's scary! Moves are scary; new jobs are scary; hell, moving back home can be scary! 

I cut this quote out of 17 magazine right before I went to college; it's been on my wall ever since. 

This being said, I think it's really important that we face these fears and not let them stop us from getting the job we want or going to the school we want, no matter if it's 9 hrs away from our friends and family. This is what I try and tell myself when I'm being super confident, which isn't always the case. Other times I'm like "wtf was I thinking?! I'm not going to be able to hop in the car and visit home on the weekends as easily as I once did. I'm not going to know anyone or anything in this city. Why didn't I go to EVMS again?!" 

So to calm myself, I've been tucking into the book The Best Advice I Ever Got, a series of essays from various famous/successful people compiled by Katie Couric. And low and behold, the first section of the book deals with conquering your fear, and not letting it ruin your chances of success. Could this be any more perfect? Coupled with that quote I featured above... well this can't be a coincidence. It's like the universe is shouting at me to be brave and buckle up for this amazing journey that's about to start! 

via here

I'm just glad that like this quote (I love quotes ok?) I had that spurt of courage that was needed for me to decide to pursue something out of my comfort zone. I know that the best public health opportunities await me in Atlanta, so despite my nerves I'm also glad that I had the gall to apply to/decide to attend Emory, a move that I never in a million years imagined myself making (this coming from the kid who cried everyday when her mom dropped her off at school 2nd grade, or the girl who was super homesick her first year away at college). 

So be brave friends! Now's the time to branch out, explore, live in a different city/state/country because we are young and have our whole lives to settle down! Fear reminds us to stay grounded but don't let it grind you into the ground. I can't imagine the regrets I would've had if I hadn't gone away to college like I was originally scared to do! 

And if you're like me and love you some quotes, here are 101 Unusual Quotes on Fear for Living the Bold Life!

Summa Readin

I gotta keep readin this summa or imma start spellin like this! Haha no but in actuality I really do like to read. I do a lot of it on my ipad (never thought I would convert to ebooks but it's actually pretty handy). I have some recommended summer reading for my public health program which have all turned out to be pretty interesting. I would definitely recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, it was on the nonfiction bestsellers list for a while a couple years ago for a reason. It's fantastic. The writing is personable and the chapters alternate between the present and the past when Henrietta Lacks lived. It chronicles how her cells have been used to create an immortal cell line that has been used in everything from the polio vaccine to caner treatments, all without her family knowing. There's not too much complicated science (the author simplifies it as best as possible) and it will really get you thinking about healthcare justice. I've also got Guns, Germs, and Steel along with Freakanomics that I plan to read before school starts.

The summer reading of a public health student. 

One surprisingly good pick was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Yes the one with a movie that came out earlier this summer. The one that my dad thought was incredibly stupid and should be followed up with George Washington Male Prostitute. But it really wasn't that stupid, in fact the author tied in slavery, vampirism, and the Civil War so well that I had to stop and remind myself a couple times that this was just fiction. So give it a try!

via Amazon

In addition, if you like rather longer books I would also recommend The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Another book about vampires (I swear I'm not obsessed and I'm not about to recommend Twilight), but this one instead focuses on the modern day search for Dracula. It involves lots of history and stops in Istanbul, Romania, and Bulgaria just to name a few. Very cool and mysterious for those who can stand to read books over 500 pages (it goes by fast).  It's also one of those books  I wish I had someone to talk about with after I was done, but alas no one has read it.

via Amazon

Again, I apologize for the fact that several of the books I've recommended are about vampires; this definitely wasn't intentional! Although maybe semi-ironic since I've also been  reading about epidemics and mass illnesses? I would appreciate any recommendations; read any good books recently?

Sh*t I wish I knew

8. You will miss school more than you could ever imagine.

What a gorgeous place to call home.

I just got back from the most amazing 24 hrs spent in Charlottesville with my best friends. It was a night spent reliving our college days, meant to tide us over until we meet again (tentatively planned for September when UVa plays GT in Atlanta--my friends are the best!). I can't think of a better going away night complete with amazing people, drinks, dancing, and wait for it...streaking! Yes I finally streaked the Lawn, one of the things you're supposed to do before you graduate and one of the things that I swore I would never do. Upon hearing this my dad asked me how drunk I was (ok I had a little liquid courage) but it was ultimately just the heat of the moment and the knowledge that I wouldn't be back for a while that led me to stop my protests about how I hate being naked, whip off my clothes, and go sprinting down the lawn before I could think too much about what I was doing. Asked the morning after how it felt to have my streaking cherry popped I could only reply with, "It felt so liberating."

I will say though, it felt so strange coming back to Charlottesville, basically my home for the past 4 years, and feeling like a guest. It was so sad knowing that these really weren't my streets anymore and that I would no longer be seeing them on a daily basis. This caused me to look at and appreciate all the sights and sounds that much more as I tried to imprint everything on my memory. It's funny how I loved everything that much more (even the drunk weird people on the Corner). And of course I did cry as I drove away (and I hardly ever cry!).

I love my custom print via avintageposter.com! Sums it up perfectly

I think my psyche began to subtly prepare me for this nostalgia towards the end of last semester. I began to feel compelled to buy every UVa shirt and sweatshirt available, as I felt my school pride intensify. There's this Counting Crows song that says "don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone?" And as cliche as it is, it's totally true! Looking back I see that I really took my time at UVa/Charlottesville for granted. I didn't explore the city and try all that it has to offer and didn't love my school nearly as much as I should have (I spent a lot of the time hating on the people/douche bag culture). Ughhhh seriously, enjoy your time as much as you can! Explore, discover, and love where ever it is that you're at as much as possible because it's only towards the end of your stay that you realize how much you took for granted.

I'll see you soon UVa!

Sh*t I wish I knew

7. Basketball games are actually really fun.

via virginiasports.com

I didn't see a UVa basketball game until my last year, and that was only because I happened to be working the president's box at the game. I'd never gone before because I never really liked to watch basketball before, but shoot I'm disappointed that I waited so long! Because it's in an enclosed arena, you really get the full impact of the noise, the crowds, and the excitement. They turn the lights off, flicker them off and on, and pour smoke into the stands when the team comes out of the locker room. It's super exciting, even if you're not a basketball fan (I'm now a convert).

This post isn't to encourage people just to go to basketball games. Go to any school sports games, even if you don't like the sport. Take advantage of the fact that you can go to awesome sports games for free! It's a fun way to support your athletes and your university. And you may even find you enjoy it. I definitely wish that I had gone to all the field hockey and volleyball games I'd intended to go to!

Football games: part of the quintessential college experience

Sh*t I'm glad I did

6. Took a chill pill

No, I'm not referring to drugs or any other illegal paraphernalia. I'm talking about that figure of speech used by an annoying person trying to get you to calm down.

via polyvore

Let's go back in time a little bit, to when I was a straight A student at P.A. middle school. I was obsessed with getting good grades, and I worked (and worried) my ass off in order to be the student I was. It paid off in that I got all the superlatives for the best in every subject on the last day of eighth grade. Fast forward to high school and things were a bit different. I went to a tough school (anyone familiar with IB? ha), and I found that I wasn't the smartest kid there anymore. I also discovered that making straight As wasn't going to be as easy as it used to be (and in fact most of my high school career I made a B or 2 *gasp).

As I became involved in other things besides school, like sports and volunteering, I started to realize that life wasn't just about school or studying. But more importantly, I realized that I wasn't perfect and that that was ok. I'm so glad I learned this lesson in high school instead of college, where I'm sure many people do. I've seen people make them selves sick because they are mentally and physically exhausted and psychologically unprepared for a letdown. This is no way to live. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's ok to slack off, but I am saying that it's ok if you don't get straight As, as long as you try.

In general I've always been kinda a high strung/uptight person, and college definitely mellowed me out (I've had several people over the years remark on the world of good it's done me). I can't say what exactly did it, but eventually I got to the point among the mountain of reading I had to do and realized
"I can't do it all."No matter how hard I tried it seemed like I couldn't really catch up. So I learned to prioritize and speed read. I doubt that this is something that my former uber-uptight self could ever had allowed but it's been a valuable tool/asset. Of course I've lamented the fact that I didn't have a better GPA, but I'm also glad that I didn't drive myself crazy in the process of trying to achieve an unattainable perfect.

Or our fear of not being perfect! via google

My advice to anyone is this: chill out. Calm down. You can't do it all, and while it may not always be perfect, you can make your college experience (or life) more enjoyable by accepting the fact that you aren't perfect and that you aren't always going to be the best. If you want to read more about working smarter not harder, click here to visit one of my new favorite blogs to find out more!

Sh*t I wish I knew

6. Apartments: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Let me preface this by saying that I loved my apartment. I loved the fact that I got my own room and bathroom at a fantastic price. I didn't realize this my first year but there were 2 main areas that upper classmen lived: behind the corner and on JPA. I lived on the latter.

Good ol' JPA. via the Chive.

People always gave me this "oh poor you, you live so far away" bit when I told them where I lived, and yes I will admit that socially I lived in the boonies. I was in the complete opposite direction of the bars, frats, and social scene in general, which brings me to another part I loved about where I lived: it was quiet. My location allowed me to step away from the raves and the parties and take a quiet breather. And to it's defense, it was a good location for class. I was a hop skip and a jump away from the football stadium, the AFC (gym), and psych. buildings, and was just a short uphill bus ride away from the center of grounds. I couldn't complain.

What my apartment made complicated was when I wanted to go out. Walking (if I missed the bus) took 15 minutes in the cold or heat. And since I wasn't the type of person that was ok with just crashing on a friend's couch at the end of the night, I had to constantly watch the time to make sure that I would be able to make the bus before it stopped running at 2 a.m. And let me tell you, I've had several of the straight-out-of-the-movies times when I've been standing in the rain, shivering, waiting for a damn bus that I wasn't sure was going to come (completely pitiful). So yes, this made going out rather complicated, and I think it might have played a factor in me maybe not going out as much or as often as I would have. This also maybe helped shape my desire to start having fun early so I could end early (seriously, waiting until 10-10:30 to go out? We're wasting valuable time here people!).

There was a house with chickens in the yard on my ave. That's a pretty important to me. 

I don't know if you can have it all, but for me having my own room/bathroom along with reasonable rent was more important than the location of my apartment. Like I said, I'm glad I lived there and I'm glad I chose to stay there instead of moving each year; however, for those social butterflies/future apartment hunters, I write this as a cautionary tale. Do your homework and plan accordingly! Strike a good balance between what's important to you, whether it be location, price, floorplan, etc.

The Worst Work Night of All Time

Taken by Manager Marc. The customers are a bunch of (ur)anuses 

Last night I pretty much had the absolute worst work shift that I've ever had in my 5 summers at Planet Pizza. It was so god awful that I felt I had to share the shittiness with everyone, just spread it around. Here's what went down:

1. Your average family of four leaves me $0 on a $57. Great way to start my night. Now mind you, we have to tip the bus boys 1.5% of our sales, so that stiff means money basically comes out of my pocket. 

2. Pain in the ass party of 13, who are basically sucking down their drinks (huge pet peeve, esp when I've just given them to you and I'm clearly busy) and demands (after the fact) to split their check in really complicated ways. 

3. A very redneck looking family, several of whom happen to be deaf but I guess can read lips and manage to talk to me, runs up a $105 bill. I'm a bleeding heart under my foul mouthed exterior so I'm extra nice because I feel bad. They end up being super needy with the refills (no please or thank you), which is fine I'm still feeling bad for them, not so much after I find out they tip me $5. 

4. The grand finale: family of 5 and their uncle who's jokes aren't funny. Uncle wants a sweet tea but with only 4 ice cubes (wtf). Little girl throws up right there in the booth (I tipped the poor bus boy $5 extra because I felt so bad that he had to clean that up). You'd think that you'd feel bad for the people having to wait on you/clean up your kids puke that you'd tip well... no such luck, $7 on a $67. One of their other kids also came up and randomly hugged me saying "I only hug people if they're handsome or pretty and you're pretty!" Umm thanks little girl...?

I'm sorry. It probably seems like I'm just complaining and being ungrateful or whatever but if you've ever worked in the service industry maybe you can feel some pity for a girl. Haha I just thought a kid barfing at my table was really just the darndest thing.

I'm just glad that I also have my little Stella and Dot business to semi-fall back on. I've only had one trunk show so far but it's completely boosted my confidence and made me hungry for more business. It's a job where I'm actually doing something I like with nice people and it's fun!

So (shameless plug) I'd really appreciate your support; like my page https://www.facebook.com/StellaDotIndependentStylistAlannahKittle (if you haven't done so already) and if you're even a teensy bit interested contact me for more info on how to host your own trunk show. It's free, easy (I do all of the work for you, you just provide me with the names and emails of those you'd like to invite) and you get to reap the benefits of free jewelry and products at half price (I got $240 in free product and 3 items half off for hosting a show at my family reunion)!

My new favorite: the Olivia Bib necklace

My addiction

I have a problem: I'm addicted to sugar. I realized this while cramming a chocolate chip cookie into my mouth this morning and simultaneously finding a spoon for the angel food cake/strawberry whipped cream combo I planned to eat after. The image below is what comes to mind when I picture my love of sweets (maybe I'm an elf?).

via Google

Awesome movies aside, I decided that this sugar issue is a problem. I mean thank god I don't really drink alcohol (relatively speaking) or else we would have a real problem on our hands. Couple this issue with the fact that I don't have a regular gym membership during the summer (every year it's a constant battle between the heat and my motivation to do the only physical activity left to me: running) and you've got my love/hate relationship of the season: The Biggest Loser, Cardio Max. 

I hate them so much

I looked into the p90x and Insanity programs but there's no way I'm willing to dish out $100 on an exercise system that I might not even use. My mini pitch for my alternative is that it combines the cardio and weight training needed to actually see results, all in a quick half hour workout (which cost me $15). It's a 6 week program, just like all the others. I'm currently on week 2 (I do it 5 days a week), and after the first 3 days, where I could barely walk, it's going pretty well (though the jumping lunges still make me want to cry). 

I'm thinking I want to step it up a notch though. If I clean up my eating habits I'm sure that I would see better results at the end of the program. But like I said, it's just so hard to give up my sugar and chocolate! Not to mention that I work at a restaurant that serves THE best pizza (with ranch of course!) on the planet. I've been working there for 5 summers now, and I'm still obsessed with this damn pizza!!! I'm a pizza loving mess. 

I realize that I can't limit myself from the noms I love. The more I try to restrict my diet the worse I end up eating, plus life is too short not to enjoy some treats every now and then. So perhaps a compromise can be worked out...where there's a will, there's a way!

Can't stop, won't stop. It's froyo so that's ok right?!

Learning to Let Go: Aka Deuces

It's been a long time coming but I've finally learned how to actually just let go, throw them deuces up (the girls at work taught me what that meant) when things don't work out. My specific situation refers to relationships, but this could go for many types of social situations like friendships, jobs, goals, etc.

via Tumblr

It's hard to admit defeat, especially when it involves something or someone that you really want. But the fact of the matter is that you can't force something to happen. Ever seen That's So Raven, the long canceled Disney show? Of course you have! And did you notice how every time she had this horrible vision that she worked so hard to prevent (or come true) her actions ended up creating the situation she tried to prevent in the first place!

The more you try to force a relationship (because maybe you sense that oh crap I don't think he's as interested I gotta work twice as hard to get him back) the worse things get? I've noticed it for a long time but seem to have had a hard time learning my lesson. What's prompted me to write this post (because I think I've touched on this a bit before) was that I finally had someone say, "wow, you just told me that you let things fizzle out with someone?! I never thought I'd hear that."

Yes people! Finally, when I felt that things just weren't going anywhere (and I've felt this many times before and never listened) I said ok. Instead of pushing myself onto someone, instead of completely burning bridges, I just faded into the mist quietly. I finally asked myself: Why try to text/hang out with someone who obviously doesn't want to hang out with me? I don't want to make an effort with someone who isn't making one with me, that's not what relationships should be about. So maybe this isn't quite such an epiphany, but it is for me! And I think that it could maybe apply for many other girls. Listening to stories, it seems like a lot of ladies sell themselves short.

If he isn't making, then deuces boy. There are plenty more (deserving) fish in the sea!

Sh*t I'm glad I did

5. Kept a small meal plan all throughout undergrad.

Haha this is a lame one but is def. one of the things I'm glad I still did. We all get pretty burnt out from dining hall food by the end of first year, but consider how burnt out you'll be having to "cook" all year (I put cook in quotations because sometimes cooking involves just sticking a frozen meal in the microwave--mushy frozen meals also get old).

So for the rest of my undergrad years I kept a small, 50 meals a semester meal plan. I loved it, especially when the dining hall food started to get 10x better this past year. During exam times I never had to cook, I'd just pop over to the dining hall. I hoarded cups of iced milk in my freezer for extra deliciousness late night. And you can be super classy and meet friends for an excellent Sunday brunch or Monday night dinner (you'd think I was kidding but I'm not).

Double Swipe Dean was actually a suggestion in Google...

For my little brother who is just entering college and doesn't know how to boil water, much less cook, this advice is especially useful (I hope). Just dear lord, don't ever take a girl on a date to the dining hall!