hi kids!
It's been a while since my last update. Some news/happenings:
1. I have officially accepted my place in the full-time MBA program. Plus: my sister was accepted @ Iowa and we are rooming together! We're looking for a place now. :D
2. I have been rocking lunch-hour workouts with Megan (step class!) on a regular basis (3x a week at least).
3. I have started adopting vegan recipes into my diet, and I've been eating 90% vegetarian for the past month or so. I will occasionally have fish and sometimes chicken, but I've been staying away from red meat and moving toward a no-meat diet. I just can't deal with the gross-out meat anymore. I will still eat meat sometimes for now, but just not nearly as much. This will be a gradual process as I learn how to cook differently.
Number One thing I've noticed since eating this way: My digestive system has fixed itself. I have had bowel/IBS problems that have been getting worse and worse over the past few years (I don't think the stress and lack of sleep has helped). Since I've been eating differently, I've been eating healthier proteins and fiber, which must be part of the reason I feel so much better lately.
Tonight's meal: fried tempeh with broccoli, red pepper, carrot in a peanut sauce. yum.
I'm doing this for two reasons:
#1 To get away from eating bad food. By eliminating meat, I have to cook for myself a lot and it forces me to make better meals, more creative ones too.
# 2 To stop eating the fuzzy little animals which are cooped up in factory farms. I've been doing a lot of reading on this subject lately, and it has encouraged me to actually make the move.
We'll see how long this can last, but I am happy with it right now.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
life update
So... I think I'm going to be moving back to my college town in August. That's right - I'm about 99.5% sure that I am going to accept the offer of admission next week. I'm supposed to let them know by Wednesday.
My campus visit was great - I attended a marketing class, had lunch with two current second-year students in the full-time program, and talked with the directors of admissions, financial aid, curriculum and recruiting. It was a long day but well worth the effort! I now feel like I can make a well-informed decision, and I feel much more confident with my ability to succeed in the program! The visit made me feel more comfortable with the idea of going back to school and leaving the working world. If these people can make it work, then I can too!
The strategic track is so perfect for what I want to do with my career. I really feel like it's where I need to be, and the best way for me to grow and develop is to take the risk and go back to school full-time. If I don't do it now, I know for a fact that I would regret it forever! I am young and single and have nothing holding me back - I could take a job offer anywhere in the country, or the world for that matter.
While being so "free" has its disadvantages (i.e. makes for a boring valentine's day, and friday nights filled with netflix with my gay) this can be one advantage to single life! :-)
I am really excited about this, so I'm going to let them know on Monday next week. Then I should receive my admissions packet in the mail. Now I just need to figure out where I'm going to live, fill out financial aid forms, and save a LOT of money in the five months I have left at my job.
I still have a little nagging voice inside telling me I should take the safe option and stay at my job, but then I think of how I am miserable there about 70% of the day. About 10% of the day I am happy to be there, 20% my mind is elsewhere and it's tolerable, and 70% of it I am frustrated and unappreciated. I will truly miss the people I've worked with, but I won't miss the job itself. It's enough to drive someone nuts (see me for evidence).
<3
My campus visit was great - I attended a marketing class, had lunch with two current second-year students in the full-time program, and talked with the directors of admissions, financial aid, curriculum and recruiting. It was a long day but well worth the effort! I now feel like I can make a well-informed decision, and I feel much more confident with my ability to succeed in the program! The visit made me feel more comfortable with the idea of going back to school and leaving the working world. If these people can make it work, then I can too!
The strategic track is so perfect for what I want to do with my career. I really feel like it's where I need to be, and the best way for me to grow and develop is to take the risk and go back to school full-time. If I don't do it now, I know for a fact that I would regret it forever! I am young and single and have nothing holding me back - I could take a job offer anywhere in the country, or the world for that matter.
While being so "free" has its disadvantages (i.e. makes for a boring valentine's day, and friday nights filled with netflix with my gay) this can be one advantage to single life! :-)
I am really excited about this, so I'm going to let them know on Monday next week. Then I should receive my admissions packet in the mail. Now I just need to figure out where I'm going to live, fill out financial aid forms, and save a LOT of money in the five months I have left at my job.
I still have a little nagging voice inside telling me I should take the safe option and stay at my job, but then I think of how I am miserable there about 70% of the day. About 10% of the day I am happy to be there, 20% my mind is elsewhere and it's tolerable, and 70% of it I am frustrated and unappreciated. I will truly miss the people I've worked with, but I won't miss the job itself. It's enough to drive someone nuts (see me for evidence).
<3
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
life ness.
I've been having one of my annual what-do-I-do-with-my-life struggles. I am even reading the book 'What Color is My Parachute?' Yes, it's that severe. :-P Ha, actually it's a very good book. It has a lot of great advice on interviews, salary negotiation, and evaluating your talents/interests, etc.
It kind of goes along with a book I'm reading for class called 'Strengths Based Leadership.' It's also a very interesting book - it's a nice way of spending a lot of time thinking about myself, as if I don't do enough of that already. ;-)
The Strengths book actually offers some pretty good advice: it basically says we should all spend more time developing our strengths than trying to focus on or improve our weaknesses. It hit home for me, because I do spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm not good at (public speaking, being assertive, pretending to have a sliver of self-confidence, getting ready in the morning, being prepared, staying focused), rather than saying "hey, I'm pretty good at this. I should do more of it." (ummm right now the only thing I can think of that I'm good at is standardized tests - those might help for short-term goals, but other than that it's pretty useless!!).
My top strengths according to the 'Strengths Finder':
- Individualization
You are impatient with generalizations or "types" because you don't want to obscure what is special and distinct about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe each person's style, each person's motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person's life.
I find this to be totally true. I enjoy working with different types of people, and I HATE generalizations or stereotypes. I love learning about different cultures & working with people differently depending on how I know they like to work. My friend at work who originates from Argentina tells me I should work for the state department. I would love that! Small problem: I have no qualifications for that kind of position... at all.
- Futuristic
You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you.
No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you.
It kind of goes along with a book I'm reading for class called 'Strengths Based Leadership.' It's also a very interesting book - it's a nice way of spending a lot of time thinking about myself, as if I don't do enough of that already. ;-)
The Strengths book actually offers some pretty good advice: it basically says we should all spend more time developing our strengths than trying to focus on or improve our weaknesses. It hit home for me, because I do spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm not good at (public speaking, being assertive, pretending to have a sliver of self-confidence, getting ready in the morning, being prepared, staying focused), rather than saying "hey, I'm pretty good at this. I should do more of it." (ummm right now the only thing I can think of that I'm good at is standardized tests - those might help for short-term goals, but other than that it's pretty useless!!).
My top strengths according to the 'Strengths Finder':
- Individualization
You are impatient with generalizations or "types" because you don't want to obscure what is special and distinct about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe each person's style, each person's motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person's life.
I find this to be totally true. I enjoy working with different types of people, and I HATE generalizations or stereotypes. I love learning about different cultures & working with people differently depending on how I know they like to work. My friend at work who originates from Argentina tells me I should work for the state department. I would love that! Small problem: I have no qualifications for that kind of position... at all.
- Futuristic
You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you.
This definitely goes with my constant planning and spreadsheet-making. I am always coming up with and revising my future plans. And re-revising. And revising again....
- Input
You are inquisitive. You might collect information because it interests you. You probably read a lot to add to your archive of information. With all those possible uses in mind, you really don't feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It's interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.
I certainly do like to read. I just bought several books at the library, which I know I will not have time to read with all my work and school reading. I bought an amazing book by Richard Dawkins which shows the proof for evolution, and the Parachute book, and a book called "This I Believe" which comes from a show on NPR. Also "The Elegant Universe" which is about string theory and physics. Seriously - I won't actually be reading a couple of those for a long time. But I am reading the evolution one because it's sooo good and very interesting. I can't put it down.
Also: I don't throw stuff away and it's a problem. I think I inherited this from my father.
- Strategic
This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles.- Achiever
Well, that's reassuring. I have an illogical need to get unnecessary things done, and it's probably never going to go away. I think I'm being a little cynical about this, but it's late. :)
I think that's enough talk about myself... I'll move on to other things.
Things that made me happy this week:
1. New Radiohead album. Not nearly what In Rainbows was, but still something I've been listening to over and over. I love the track 'Codex'. It's soooo gooood. God. I would love to see Radiohead LIVE.
2. Planning a trip to Chicago with my sisters. We want to see a Second City show, stay downtown and go to the art museum and aquarium. I think we're going for spring break which is less than a month away! I need to get planning and find a hotel to stay in.
3. Next week I have my interview. I'll be in Iowa City visiting campus and seeing what the full-time program is all about. We shall see... more on this later.
4. Update on healthiness and losing weight: I am exercising Fridays during my lunch hour with a "step fitness" class (which KILLED my legs by the way) as well as going to the Y for swimming and treadmill. Also, Cody and I are taking long walks over the bridge to Rock Island - there is a very nice bike path that follows the river. Hopefully the weather will get nicer again and I can ride my bike soon. Once the ice melts.
That's all for now. I'm going to pass out learning how we came from gorillas.
:-P
<3
me
Saturday, January 15, 2011
eggs eggs eggs
I love eggs. Eggs for breakfast - fried eggs with delicious runny yolks, scrambled eggs, fancy eggs mixed up with cream cheese mmmmm. Bethany is familiar with delicious fancy eggs, having experienced them firsthand. I also love eggs for dinner, hard-boiled eggs in a salad, over-easy eggs mixed in with chunky tomato sauce, or just plain with salt.
So lately I've been thinking of joining a CSA for meat & eggs - there is a farm in Illinois with a monthly pickup in Moline. It includes beef, pork, chicken and 2 dozen eggs each month. The farm is called Walnut Acres Family farm.
I've been trying to find a good CSA for meat, because there really aren't any good grocery stores that sell good quality meat. This is what their site says:
At Walnut Acres Family Farm we strive to provide high quality meats at affordable prices. Our customers appreciate the excellent meat as well as knowing how there food is raised.
We raise our animals in a traditional, natural manner which means less stress and crowding on the animals and results in healthier animals. Our animals are allowed to graze and have plenty of room for exercise. No hormones, antibiotics, or animal by-products are used.
We provide beef, pork, meat chickens, eggs, and turkey for customers in Northern Illinois.
So lately I've been thinking of joining a CSA for meat & eggs - there is a farm in Illinois with a monthly pickup in Moline. It includes beef, pork, chicken and 2 dozen eggs each month. The farm is called Walnut Acres Family farm.
I've been trying to find a good CSA for meat, because there really aren't any good grocery stores that sell good quality meat. This is what their site says:
At Walnut Acres Family Farm we strive to provide high quality meats at affordable prices. Our customers appreciate the excellent meat as well as knowing how there food is raised.
We raise our animals in a traditional, natural manner which means less stress and crowding on the animals and results in healthier animals. Our animals are allowed to graze and have plenty of room for exercise. No hormones, antibiotics, or animal by-products are used.
We provide beef, pork, meat chickens, eggs, and turkey for customers in Northern Illinois.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
me eating kale
Here's a great way to eat a really healthy (very green!) vegetable.
Mix up some pesto but use lots of kale instead if basil. The recipe I used called for toasted walnuts, cooked kale (remove stems), garlic cloves, and Parmesan cheese.
I ate this with spaghetti last night and mixed it in with risotto tonight. Yum!
Mix up some pesto but use lots of kale instead if basil. The recipe I used called for toasted walnuts, cooked kale (remove stems), garlic cloves, and Parmesan cheese.
I ate this with spaghetti last night and mixed it in with risotto tonight. Yum!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Vacationery
That's right. I made up this word, but I like it. Vacationery.
Reason for this post: I'm mostly just getting overly excited about trips I'd like to take this year. In addition, because I've been bringing my lunch to work, I have nothing to do on my break.
I normally would walk to my car in the freezing cold, then listen to NPR while driving to Quizno's or Subway or this cute little sandwich shop downtown called Ellie's (they gave good coffee there too - Intelligentsia yum yum). Anyway, instead of spending lots of money on lattes and sandwiches, I am sitting in my cube at my desk of gloom and despair with no windows in sight. I suppose I could try to tune in to NPR on my ipod... what a good idea.
This is the price I pay to be cheap.
Moooooooving on.
I have a list in my head, and one of my favorite things to do is make lists. This list includes all the places I want to go this year.
1. New York City!
2. Pharr, Texas
I would LOVE to visit Sam before her Americorps job is finished in August! Since I had no idea where this town was, here's a map (which I find to be mildly amusing - doesn't it look like Texas is just floating around in the ocean? Where is Mexico??!)
This town sits on the border of Mexico, and we could go swimming in the Gulf. Ahhhh.
3. Denver or LA
To visit Amber & Luke! Wherever they happen to be! :-)
Reason for this post: I'm mostly just getting overly excited about trips I'd like to take this year. In addition, because I've been bringing my lunch to work, I have nothing to do on my break.
I normally would walk to my car in the freezing cold, then listen to NPR while driving to Quizno's or Subway or this cute little sandwich shop downtown called Ellie's (they gave good coffee there too - Intelligentsia yum yum). Anyway, instead of spending lots of money on lattes and sandwiches, I am sitting in my cube at my desk of gloom and despair with no windows in sight. I suppose I could try to tune in to NPR on my ipod... what a good idea.
This is the price I pay to be cheap.
Moooooooving on.
I have a list in my head, and one of my favorite things to do is make lists. This list includes all the places I want to go this year.
1. New York City!
Can you believe I've never been to New York City? After all those family trips to Buffalo, I've been to New York (the state) more times than I can remember. I've been to many large cities in Europe, but never the largest city in my own country. It's about time I pay a visit, I think.
Cody and I have started talking about going there for my birthday. I'm thinking May 6-11. Any and all are welcome!
2. Pharr, Texas
I would LOVE to visit Sam before her Americorps job is finished in August! Since I had no idea where this town was, here's a map (which I find to be mildly amusing - doesn't it look like Texas is just floating around in the ocean? Where is Mexico??!)
This town sits on the border of Mexico, and we could go swimming in the Gulf. Ahhhh.
3. Denver or LA
To visit Amber & Luke! Wherever they happen to be! :-)
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New revolutions
So I'm only a few days in to the new year, but I think I'd better do an update on my New Years resolutions just to keep myself in check,
1. Eat more real food
I'm doing awesome at this. I made spaghetti and turkey meat sauce on Sunday night, and the leftovers made 2 lunch meals this week. It's the easiest and tastiest meat sauce ever! (except for my Mom's... hers is amazing)
All I needed was a pound of spaghetti, some Italian turkey sausage, and a jar of pasta sauce (I bought the kind with hidden pureed vegetables in it - for the sole purpose of tricking Cody into eating it). :-) I also added in extra pepper, salt, and garlic (because those are pretty much my favorite things to add to any food).
Next time I'll use a jar of canned tomatoes and make the sauce myself, but this was for Cody and I (and hidden vegetables did the trick!)
I also made some cheddar chive bread, a recipe from a new cookbook I bought (Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table - amazing! I'm so excited to try the rest of her recipes). I've been using that to make sandwiches and for breakfast.
I've started reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I've been meaning to read for quite some time. It's always checked out at the library, but I found it at Borders for half price so I just bought it. Danijela has been talking about this book for forever, so I'm reading it now.
I recently watched the documentary King Corn, which made me want to read this book even more. I really like it so far. It includes a lot of hard facts, and I'm brushing up on memories of photosynthesis in biology lab (I shudder to think of college bio...)
More to come on that...
In addition to this, I'd like to add my goal of working out more often. I didn't add this in here before because I'm trying not to focus too much on things of my past (counting calories like a mad woman with OCD, measuring exactly how much I work out and tracking it on some web site, eating Lean Cuisines then a gallon of ice cream afterward, feeling guilty for not going to the gym and easing my guilt by making brownies, then swearing off my "diet" for a couple months before I start all over again, etc.)
I'm not going to put "lose 15 pounds" or even just "lose weight". I just want to live a healthy life. I already got rid of those bad habits (mostly), but I'd like to continue and improve, making small adjustments along the way instead of something crazy & drastic.
2. Pay off credit card debt
I'm slowly working away at what I like to call my annual "Christmas debt". Let's be honest - most of this was spent on myself. I'm now kicking myself for purchasing a new (very nice) winter coat, a new phone (iphone), AND a new ipod nano.... all in the same month. Silly, silly Bridget.
My plan is to pay this off by February and slug away at my big credit card with $100 a week.
3. Take 7 MBA classes
I'm registered for three this semester, two beginning in two weeks (Accounting and Ops management). Then I'm taking a three-week class in April (project management).
Except I just found out my employer reimbursement is only exempt from taxes up to $5000... so I'll be paying taxes on my tuition money basically. Which sucks.
4. Keep apartment clean & finish decorating
I'm proud to say that my apartment is spic and span after a weekend of debauchery and New Year celebrations. I had a few people staying at my apartment last weekend, and Cody and I did an amazing (I must say) job of cleaning up and it now shines like the top of the Chrysler building (as they say).
As for decorating.. I'm satisfied to wait until I have more money around to invest in new furniture. That will happen later in the year.
5. Blog more often!
Look at me now! :-)
I'm hoping to blog at least once a week. That is my more specific goal.
So long, kids! And by kids, I mean people who read my blog occasionally. And by that I mean... Bethany.
1. Eat more real food
I'm doing awesome at this. I made spaghetti and turkey meat sauce on Sunday night, and the leftovers made 2 lunch meals this week. It's the easiest and tastiest meat sauce ever! (except for my Mom's... hers is amazing)
All I needed was a pound of spaghetti, some Italian turkey sausage, and a jar of pasta sauce (I bought the kind with hidden pureed vegetables in it - for the sole purpose of tricking Cody into eating it). :-) I also added in extra pepper, salt, and garlic (because those are pretty much my favorite things to add to any food).
Next time I'll use a jar of canned tomatoes and make the sauce myself, but this was for Cody and I (and hidden vegetables did the trick!)
I also made some cheddar chive bread, a recipe from a new cookbook I bought (Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table - amazing! I'm so excited to try the rest of her recipes). I've been using that to make sandwiches and for breakfast.
I've started reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I've been meaning to read for quite some time. It's always checked out at the library, but I found it at Borders for half price so I just bought it. Danijela has been talking about this book for forever, so I'm reading it now.
I recently watched the documentary King Corn, which made me want to read this book even more. I really like it so far. It includes a lot of hard facts, and I'm brushing up on memories of photosynthesis in biology lab (I shudder to think of college bio...)
More to come on that...
In addition to this, I'd like to add my goal of working out more often. I didn't add this in here before because I'm trying not to focus too much on things of my past (counting calories like a mad woman with OCD, measuring exactly how much I work out and tracking it on some web site, eating Lean Cuisines then a gallon of ice cream afterward, feeling guilty for not going to the gym and easing my guilt by making brownies, then swearing off my "diet" for a couple months before I start all over again, etc.)
I'm not going to put "lose 15 pounds" or even just "lose weight". I just want to live a healthy life. I already got rid of those bad habits (mostly), but I'd like to continue and improve, making small adjustments along the way instead of something crazy & drastic.
2. Pay off credit card debt
I'm slowly working away at what I like to call my annual "Christmas debt". Let's be honest - most of this was spent on myself. I'm now kicking myself for purchasing a new (very nice) winter coat, a new phone (iphone), AND a new ipod nano.... all in the same month. Silly, silly Bridget.
My plan is to pay this off by February and slug away at my big credit card with $100 a week.
3. Take 7 MBA classes
I'm registered for three this semester, two beginning in two weeks (Accounting and Ops management). Then I'm taking a three-week class in April (project management).
Except I just found out my employer reimbursement is only exempt from taxes up to $5000... so I'll be paying taxes on my tuition money basically. Which sucks.
4. Keep apartment clean & finish decorating
I'm proud to say that my apartment is spic and span after a weekend of debauchery and New Year celebrations. I had a few people staying at my apartment last weekend, and Cody and I did an amazing (I must say) job of cleaning up and it now shines like the top of the Chrysler building (as they say).
As for decorating.. I'm satisfied to wait until I have more money around to invest in new furniture. That will happen later in the year.
5. Blog more often!
Look at me now! :-)
I'm hoping to blog at least once a week. That is my more specific goal.
So long, kids! And by kids, I mean people who read my blog occasionally. And by that I mean... Bethany.
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