Job

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

Whether to stay at job or not. I love it but right now I’m not getting enough hours so I’m on a tight budget. I’ve already started to look for another job though I am hoping that I can continue where I am with more hours.

Being underemployed is new to me. I’m thankful for all that I have and know that I’m better off than others but it’s still tight right now.

These boots were made for walkin’

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

I have a pair of Born (I don’t know how to do the weird o thing) that I bought 14 years ago. I bought them for a trip and worn them walking around all day. They are comfortable and somewhat fashionable (they don’t look too industrial). I have since worn them on other trips, absolutely my go-to for winter walking, as long as there is no snow. Only once did they fail me; it was New York and very slushy, they ended up getting wet inside and were gross walking around.

Here is the bummer, I tried to buy them in another color but the boots they make now are slightly taller and hit my knee. I need to find them in the old formula. I’m holding on to these bad boys until they fall off my feet.

I have them with me now on an overnight. Yes, the toes are scuffed but they have held up well. I love good quality shoes.

The book to cure insomnia

If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?

Kidding, kind of.

I’m not sure who would be interested in reading it. I do have some interesting aspects to my life and I am sure that a ghost writer would spin my years well.

Also, I have an insane memory for stupid stuff. My biography would be “March 10th in the third grade I was wearing my blue striped socks and I had a grape Capri Sun to go with my roast beef sandwich at lunch”. I’ll stick to blogging, thanks.

When I was your age

What were your parents doing at your age?

I was just looking at a picture of my mom and I and I realized that she was just about my age now.

My mom was a grandmother of 4, married and looking to reduce her work hours to part time. I was living in San Diego and remember her visiting me and hanging out. She was so supportive of my move, she has always been supportive of me even if she didn’t agree with my decisions.

Unfortunately my dad died young. Anyone who has experienced this knows the day that you live past the age your parent died. It’s a sigh of relief and an odd phenomenon that only those in our club understand.

Teenage Valentine

Or not. Yeah, I didn’t date much then, still don’t. Whatever

February 8

6th grade (yes, we have a rare 6th grade entry): (in the corner I wrote “Gary Coleman’s B.day”) Dad has company. B

I don’t recall who the company was but I’m guessing they were work people. And I think it was purely coincidence that they were there on Gary Coleman’s birthday as I was probably the only member of the family who celebrated. Yes, I loved him and “Diff’rent Strokes” was a favorite show for a long time (though I can’t recall why it was spelled diff‘rently. Knowing the life he had now makes me sad.

I also am not sure why inspired this sudden inspiration to journal at this time. The company? Arnold?

8th grade: I went to [high school], I like it.

I got to visit the high school I was planning to attend. My guide was my cousin who was a freshman and a good mentor/role model. Thanks for being there for me, cuz.

February 14

8th grade: I didn’t get a flower from anyone, I was really hurt.

Oh kid, I’m so sorry. It does hurt. I didn’t have many friends at the school and certainly not any strong enough that I would give a flower to or expect in return. It did sting though. When people talk about bullying and the wussification of kids they sometimes forget what it’s like back then. Now I don’t give a sh*t that I don’t have a valentine. It was tough back then because it appeared to be great for everyone else. My guess is that there were others hurt as well. Why didn’t the teachers make sure that each kid had at least one? Not dogging on the teachers since they have so much to do but someone should have made sure that no one was without.

Pity party over.

That was it for the month of February. Rest up for a wild March though, it appears to come in like a lion.

Happy Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday to all who celebrate. I give you all a flower.

Be still my heart

World Wide Web

The most important invention in your lifetime is…

The internet. Yes, it has its problems but it has changed how we live and hopefully for the better. Although a part of me is nostalgic for the days when information wasn’t at our fingertips.

I remember looking up information in the encyclopedias we had or going to the library. I was excited when we got the year in review book, it had all kind of new information. We traveled cross country with the triptik books from AAA and I bought the Thomas Guide when I moved to San Diego. We were perhaps more resourceful and more patient. There was excitement when a book, magazine or catalog was released. We ran to the mail to see what came, perhaps the item we purchased from a catalog.

Despite the nostalgia I love the internet. As an introvert, I am more comfortable with less human interaction and I explore more. I can look things up at odd times, though I really try not to look at my phone when I’m in bed. When watching television I immediately go to IMDB- one of the top 3 websites IMHO. Trip planning is incredibly easy.

What will they think of next?

My so-called teen life

First week of February in my teens.

February 1

8th grade: I got accepted to [high school]. I am so happy.

Huge thanks to my mom who somehow found the money to pay for my private school. It made a difference and some of my closest friends are from high school.

February 2

8: We got some weird calls. Some guy was saying that [sister] was under arrest. I was scared.

Yeah, that was effed up but ended up being some jerks playing a prank. This was at a time when tracing calls was more difficult.

February 3

8: [cousin’s] christening. It was fun.

As most religious experiences are for 8th graders. It was my first christening of another religion. I’m sure the party after was fun. These cousins were younger and I loved playing with them.

February 6

8: We had no school today.

Snow? Teachers’ conference? Who knows. Having a snow day was the best. We wouldn’t know until the morning and we would have to wait for our town to be called on the radio. Kids knew the towns that preceded theirs alphabetically. Good times

No one died! What up with that?

Old school

Write about your first computer.

Not mine but my dad’s. It was an Apple III, look it up. It was a business computer that was before the Mac. My dad got it for an exorbitant amount of money. It had certain business functions that he liked. Pre-excel and word. He built a huge desk that had a place for the dot matrix printer.

One night he came home with floppy disks that had games on them. I was never into video games but I really liked one of them, it was so basic but fun.

My dad died suddenly after buying the computer. We kept it and used it as an expensive word processor. I often volunteered to type papers for group projects. It became obsolete fairly quickly so we couldn’t trade it in for anything. I did read that years later it became valuable but it was in the landfill by that time.

I wish that I had taken more of an interest in it. Really I wish that my dad lived longer and could have taught me more about it. We were so ahead of the curve with technology but didn’t know what the future would bring.

These are the days

Only one more entry for January. Looking ahead, February looks more lively so stay tuned.

January 28

9th grade: A space shuttle blew up today. It had the first civilian on it. She would have came to our school to talk. It was so scary, her kids were watch[ing] her.

This still gives me chills and is a “I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard” moment. I was in Biology lab but ran down to our campus ministry office because I had to exchange a book. I was patiently waiting as a young nun was looking for something. Finally I said that I need to exchange a book. She looked up at me and said, “Do you know what just happened?”. I shook my head and she said “The space shuttle Challenger just blew up and I need to find a prayer”. I walked away stunned and went back to Biology lab where everyone was quiet so I assumed they knew. A few minutes later they make an announcement over the loudspeaker and the class gasped, they hadn’t heard. A nun at our school had taught Christa McAuliffe and was obviously devastated. Christa was going to come to our school to speak, I remember being excited about that. A few years ago I listened to a podcast about the teacher in space, the story is incredible.

Despite the few entries I am enjoying this exercise of reviewing old diary entries. I forgot certain details and it gives me some insight into my little life back then.