The Long Haul

I drive an hour to work, and an hour home...everyday. Boring? Yes. However, I have discovered and learned so much by doing this daily commute. I'd like to share some of the awesome, and frustrating ideals and Vermont intricacies I've uncovered.

1. Vermont does not believe in street lights. We are environmentalists. Should there be one lone spider that is hurt in the digging of the hole for a light pole, we shall reverse our previous decision to provide light. Light that might keep drivers from getting blinded on rainy evenings when rounding corners driving head on towards large trucks carrying materials from far off regions like Canada. Materials such as light poles, and incandescent bulbs.

2. The cheapest gas from Essex to Middlebury is in Middlebury. It is sold at this awkward non-gas station on Exchange St. The gas is self-serve and there is no quick-mart to buy your caffeine infused beer or beef jerky. Behind these gas pumps are giant silos. I feel like I'm in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show when I'm pumping my gas.

3. Brilliant ideas float through my mind while driving. Too bad I can't use paper and pen to jot them down! Here's another brilliant idea; create voice recognition software for the iPhone that actually works. I'm sorry but I don't think my brilliant idea was to "build a water treatment pancake in the north beast".

4. Why do people tear down buildings but leave the company signs up? I really want to go to that Roadhouse chicken restaurant in Ferrisburg but apparently there is no building to go along with their sign.

5. Don't try to put mayonnaise on a sandwich while driving.

6. When drinking 32oz of any liquid, make sure to visit the facilities before you head out on your hour long driving venture. Otherwise, when you do reach a venue with a bathroom, you will look like a drug addict looking for a place to get your fix.

7. If I'm going the speed limit and you're not tailgating me...you're a cop.

8. When you have the chance, stop at a local gas station and ask the following question: "wow, a lot is happening around here these days". To which the person in the store will reply "what?", at which point you will say "what do you mean, what? You didn't hear?". Then you shake your head in disbelief and walk out the door and into your car.

That's all I have. How do you kill time on long trips?

Mommy Bloggers

I am not a mommy...therefore I am just a regular blogger. This is funny...

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

I've had a few people recently ask me how to use social networking sites. This kills me. Actually, it infuriates me. A while back I learned that if I was going to learn something I'd have to get into the program and use it. This happened because I asked someone to teach me how to edit video on FCP and they said...we can't. You'll have to teach yourself. This was for my college degree in broadcasting...but that's a different rant.

Anyhow, as I grow up in this technological world, I realize that no one is going to add training wheels to my technology. I simply have to learn how to ride the bicycle of social media and advance my skills on my own. You would be so surprised what you can teach yourself. I really cannot stand the excuses for not using social media when it's crucial that you get on board with it already! Excuses like "I've tried but it's all too fast for me" or "You're just younger so you're used to these types of things".

I'm sorry, did you hear me saying to my parents..."you're older so you're used to riding a bicycle". "I just don't understand where I put my feet on the peddles". It's the same principle. Or, even worse...I bet people felt pretty stupid for telling Henry Ford that the car just wouldn't catch on...or that it was "too complicated".

Seriously people, get a grip! Just use the product, site, etc. Stop making excuses and take a leap of faith. Your computer is not going to blow up because you decided to tweet a disjointed sentence. Oh, and I have attribution to this post as I know a woman in her 70's who uses social media regularly and other computer based programs with no worries.

So no, I will not hold your hand through your first tweet. I'm pretty sure they tell you how to do it when you sign up. Take your training wheels off...and go join the rest of the world. 

Practice Makes Better

This is my lunch break I am giving myself and therefore I will write. In 2005 I had contemplated changing my college major from broadcasting to marketing & advertising. Silly me, I didn't change it. I had some kind of crazy notion that I somehow I would make broadcasting lucrative and exciting for myself.

After a short 10 month stint at WCAX working in news production on the weekends, I realized it wasn't the "dream" career I had created in my head. Same old topics of scummy politicians, cows, and a new restaurant opening up in town.

Please don't think I want to downgrade the news business. Those reporters work long hours, and some of them uncover information that is priceless to society. Other reporters do find a way to make their job into a work of art. Those are the most talented of the bunch. I personally just didn't have the patience.

After working as a manager in fast food, and a minion at a printer company answering phones...I was asked by a CEO (and acquaintance) via LinkedIn to apply for his daughters job. Honestly, I really didn't know what I was applying for. I knew the pay was better and the superiors breathing down my neck were minimal. What I didn't realize was that I would also have unlimited Diet Coke and the ability to engage and enhance my talents.

I took one graphic design course, and one advertising course in college. I knew I enjoyed designing and event planning but now it has become 75% of my job description. I've even been able to establish a social networking presence for my company.

So what is the point of me blabbing on about my job? Well, 1. few people actually know what I do. 2. I am so sick and tired of people complaining about their job. If they don't like their career path then explore something different. I'm not perfect at design...but practice has made me better!

View my most recent designs here

Good Things

It's come to my recent realization that the last few blog posts I've written have been fiercely negative. Well, negative to me. I'm quite a positive person. I thought it might be fun to showcase some of my favorite things, websites, etc...in this blog post. I hope you enjoy these things too...

1. Mastercuts. The price is low and they do an amazing job on my hair. If you live near Burlington, VT then ask for Sarah, she's the manager and da bomb!

This is the cut circa November 2011

2. SnackTools. This site helps you create some cool digital items for your marketing. I created a flipbook with the eDOC style guide I created! Visit their site here

3. Twitter. I've been using this a lot lately as people get annoyed with me posting on FB. You can find me @cc636


5. TuneIn Radio. This iPhone App is AMAZING! I found my college radio station on here, and a sweet GotRadio.com mash-ups station too! (Download the app here)

4. My Mr. Okay, cheesy, I know...but as of lately, he is one of my favorites! 

We dressed alike for a holiday party. Our goal was to win an ugly sweater contest, although we were the only ones who really dressed up. The boy on the shirt is the little guy from "A Christmas Story", also one of my favorite things. 

You're Killing Orphans

I'd like to proclaim in this blog post that the Kardashians are killing orphans.

Yes, that's a strong statement. How, do you ask, are they killing orphans? All right. The Kardashians are not literally killing orphans...but that is what I think of when I see how much money they waste on useless crap like their giant homes with an unnecessary amount of rooms and bathtubs.

As you watch the show (yes I'm guilty) you see them cut from one girls family home to another. Of course it makes sense that as the "K-Gals" get married they procure a home. But does it have to be the size of one of the embassy's in D.C.?

This brings me to the orphans. Mother Teresa had nothing but the glasses on her face, her bible, and the clothes on her back...yet she was living in ultimate bliss. She traveled the world visiting the impoverished and helped so many even though she had nothing.

Don't get me wrong. I love to shop. But if I had unlimited funds you better believe I'd be booking a trip overseas to hand out some Gucci to the needy. Or, perhaps helping those in U.S. community? The Kardashians could feed hundreds every month with the cash they spend to gas up their Escalades.

This isn't to just knock the Kardashians. I'm referencing all reality TV stars who aren't contributing real art and are getting paid to run their polished yappy mouths. I'm okay with paying money for cable to pay for hard working actors who spend hours a day slaving over script memorization and building the essence of the characters they're trying to portray. I'm also all right with paying journalists a decent wage.

Oh...wait...let me rant about that for a moment. A journalist makes on average $20,000-$30,000 a year if they're lucky. According to www.celebritynetworth.com Kim Kardashian made $40,000 per episode! Putting her net worth around 35 million. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Dead orphans. No excuses.

Find out more about Kims wealth here: http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/kim-kardashian-net-worth/

Christmas 2011

So, I've decided to go back to my old Blogger template. I don't like the fresh art decco template I was using previously. Something about it is impersonal and screams literary snob.

I'd like to write about my Christmas. It was simply wonderful. I don't usually get too personal in my blog...so I won't. I'll recap on this holiday in broad terms and speak specifically about my gifts.

I received...

A. Space heater
B. Necklace

Okay...I won't list out all of my gifts. However, I'd like to say that this year was the best Christmas I've had in many years. I didn't have to finish finals and fly home. I had a boyfriend. Oh, I did not hate my job, or have to work in the mall, and had enough money to get something swell for most of the people I care about. Emphasis on "most". I'm no Rockefeller.

Some things I'd like to touch upon for the future...

1. Make a list of the gifts you're buying and who you're buying them for. This would've been really helpful.

2. Give others a list, or post something online. Don't let people go all hay wire on the gift giving unless you want footie PJ's of the adult variety. That being said...those people who gave me gifts without knowing what I wanted did an AMAZING job this year!

3. If you receive a gift...effing say THANK YOU! Doesn't matter if you're superior to that person in any way. A simple THANK YOU will mean quite a bit. Oh...yes...the phrase is THANK YOU! *This comment is not intended for any of my friends/roomie as they all did show ample gratitude for the items received*

4. Have some variety in your Christmas music selections. Might I suggest the Sister Hazel Christmas playlist on Pandora.com

5. Don't be like me and send a mass number of pre-designed Christmas cards with no special written message on them. As I received cards from my friends I felt like a scrooge for the card I sent them. For that I am sorry!!!! Also, I may have missed some of you as I created a FB event to send cards and if you didn't get your address to me on FB then you likely didn't get a card.

6. When will the entertainment industry come out with a Christmas movie that trumps National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

Happy New Year!