Monday, June 28, 2010

Making People Happy Effort #1

I painted a birthday banner for my little buddy at the women's shelter I volunteer at. I painted "Happy Birthday From Toy Story" on it and drew pictures of Mr.Potatohead, Rex, and Hamm. I already drew him a poster of Buzz Lightyear a few weeks ago. He loves Toy Story!

This little guy is very special. He is very sweet and imaginative. He has cerebral palsy and uses either a wheelchair or 2 canes to get around. He is very patient and smart. He is also autistic.

I think he will really like it. I hope he thinks that the toys actually made it for him, that would be so amazing and cute!

P.R. Update

The Personality Revelation was an interesting project. Two days into being positive and a less worried individual I got a phone call for a job interview. It seemed to be working! I also got more responsibility at my volunteering position. I cheered up someone who was having a bad day and I attempted to change another person's outlook on a situation (it didn't work, but I would usually just stew in the negativity with them). I still spent way too much time on the internet though.

However, I did not keep my word that it would be for a week. An event set me off on Sunday and I blew up. It put me into a funk for the next 7 days and when I looked for help to pull me out of the terribleness that I had fallen into, there was no one willing to take my hand. That pushed me further down into the terrible funk. Other things began to bother me and I became extremely sad about all things surrounding my life. I tried little things here and there to pick me up, but no response. Finally, it is Monday morning and I can not stand to be the shell of a person who hardly speaks and sleeps most of the day away. It is Monday morning and I am trying, no- I will put last week and the realizations that came out of my and other people's actions behind me. This week is the week of making yourself happy. And, not just yourself- others around you too.

Interview on Friday. My 6 year anniversary is also on Friday. Canada Day. Work BBQ tonight.

Wish me luck and here's a picture for good measure.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Class Graph and Vodkas

Hello All,

Sorry for the lack of updates over the past week. I know I need to update how the Personality Revelation went. However, as I mentioned, my laptop has decided to meet its' maker and I am currently using a 40" tv as a monitor and typing from a fold up lawn chair- ahhh, yes. The life of an underemployed undergraduate. Did I mention I live in a humid basement suite and am drinking in the middle of the day? Adds to the visualization doesn't it?

Anyways, I found this interesting 'thing' on the internet through another blog. It is an interactive graph about class.

Here is my graph (Click to Enlarge):


There has to be something wrong here. Why am I in the 90th percentile of education and then in the lower halves of occupation, income and wealth? Why is it that when we specialize in something we seem to get paid less? Why do people with more education than some make significantly less money?

Try out this chart for yourself. Let me know if you see any patterns or correlations. Or, let me know if it also made you start drinking in the afternoon. :/ or :)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Personality Revelation Update

Tuesday and the continuation of the Personality Revelation was difficult for me. My mother visited. Enough said? Yes, if you know me well, enough said. If not, then it may be hard to understand.

She makes me very negative. She loves to use guilt against me and can be very self-centered. So, being positive and upbeat was very difficult for Tuesday. However, even through the new apartment mockery, 'no one cares about me' guilting, and the 'I need an operation' conversation drummer. I was able to stay is a generally okay mood for the rest of the day.

Wednesday was sort of normal, I worked and it was boring. Not much to say here. I took the bus home- 3 buses and an hour and a half, not to mention a 20 minute walk without any offers from someone to pick you up (not true- the offer came when I was 10 minutes away from home waiting for my last bus and he was playing MarioKart). Still I did not complain- even though it was 29 degrees Celsius outside and I had to prepare dinner when I got home even though he had already been home for 2 hours. Nope, I was still in a good mood- even when my Motherboard decided to split and I could not move my laptop without it turning off. Still okay. But, you can see how something like all this would make me crack right?

Then, more walking and drinks at Bar Italia, then more walking back home. I walk a lot in the day. More than you can imagine.

Today, I am trying to figure out how I can be in 2 places at once. I'm half way there. Just have to figure out how to get somewhere in 1 hour that takes an hour and a half usually.

Wish me luck with all that jazz.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Personality Revelation

On Sunday I had this weird and amazing idea...

I was chatting with someone very special to me and they told me that they did not like the person that they were. I of course thought this was crazy because I think they are truly amazing and that is why I love them. However, I completely understood what he was saying. There are certain aspects of myself which I can't stand. But, I never change. I never even try to change.

Things I Don't Like About Me:
-----------------------------
-I worry too much
-I'm too negative
-I interrupt people ALL the time
-I'm not spontaneous enough
-I spend too much time on the Internet
-I always feel like it's me against the world

So, I have made a conscious decision to be the person I want to be for the next week. I promptly made a list of traits I want to embody.

Things I Would Like to Be:
--------------------------
-more positive
-feel more free and less tied down
-need less money
-hopeful
-see the bright side of things
-be more spontaneous
-worry less
-use the internet less
-more creative

For the next week, I am going to try my hardest to be these things. One day is already behind me and it went quite well...

Monday:
-------
I got up at 8am to see my Honey off to work. He has been feeling down lately, so I left him a a sweet little note on his dashboard with a coupon for a free hamburger from one of his favorite restaurants. I used the internet to check my emails and such- but did not spend as much time as usual on it. Then, I cleaned up the apartment a bit, did dishes, put dinner in the crockpot to cook, and made play dough for my child minding session at the women's shelter. All this before 10am. Took the bus to the women's shelter- bus was late, missed my transfer, got on the wrong bus, ran to catch a late bus, all this and made it to play group on time!!! That is enough to put me in a foul mood, but I managed to see the bright side that I was still on time and that I learned to not take the bus that says Island Lakes on it. On my way home, I stopped for a $15 haircut at a new salon. At first I worried as she began to cut and thought, I shouldn't have done this... but then I reminded myself that it is only hair and it will grow out in a week or 2. The cut turned out okay and I caught the bus home. Had dinner with Honey and went to play basketball/catch with him at the park nearby. This put him in a great mood and I was happy. We then put together some furniture from the move and arranged the living room. I also took him out for ice cream. I was happy to see Honey feeling good. Night ended well and we watched a new, weird show I was told about- Breaking Bad.

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I will keep you posted on my personality revelation, or you could join me. Make your own list and try this experiment for a day, week, month! Post your list somewhere that you will see it often like the bathroom mirror or the fridge.

Friday, June 11, 2010

28 and nothing yet...

As of today, I have applied to 28 jobs in 3 months. Still nothing. It is getting very discouraging.

I also can't decide what to do about going back to school. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but now something else has come up and I'm not sure. I originally thought that I wanted to go into social work. But, I just discovered occupational therapy. Which would probably be more work, but seems really interesting.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Move 6.0

On May 31st, my darling and I changed our living locale for the 4th time together. Yes, I moved. I have lived in 6 different places in the last 10 years. It seems like a lot, but it doesn't feel like a lot.

I can't stand moving. It is a lot of work. Packing, cleaning, hauling, driving, hauling again, unpacking, organizing. Bleh! Too much! However, I love what moving symbolizes. To me, moving is about going forward. It is about change and the thought that it could bring new things and perhaps new opportunities with it.

Moving is also a time to shed. Shed things that you do not need. Shed things that are weighing you down. Why do I need so many plate sets? I will never watch these DVDs again, why do I still have them? I wish my mother would stop buying me knick knacks... Hotel shampoos are terrible- why do we always take them? Etc. In this move, we shed a lot of 'weight', still hoping to shed more.

Some interesting things I found in the move:
-a broken Brita water filter
-a string of patio lights
-excessive amount of University paper work
-so many great mix cds from approximately Grade 11 and up
-photocopied pages of an old Mennonite cookbook

We are living in a peaceful neighborhood, surrounded by trees and what appears to be a horde of rabbits. We can play basketball across the street and barbecue down the street in the park. It is a welcome change from the concrete jungle ghetto we had been in for so long. Living in a place like that really hardens you. It makes you very insensitive. But, it also toughens you up- I'm not afraid of downtown like so many others. I can walk freely without fear. For that, I am thankful.

Perhaps the change of scenery will encourage a change of persona and we will both become more lively and active. I am certainly excited for everything this life change has to offer me.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Move

I'm not dead. I just moved. I feel a bit dead. So very tired. Will post soon.