Here at Franciscan, my colleagues and I are instituting a month-long program called "No Fear November."
The dating culture here at Franciscan isn't good. The way that people start dating is they start hanging out with each other on a regular basis. After they've been hanging out for a few weeks they have a "dtr" (define the relationship talk) in which they decide whether they're a couple. The thing with this is, it leads to a lot of confusion. Oftentimes the people who are "just hanging out" are not on the same page as to whether or not there is commitment in their relationship. Plenty of times it also leads to a couple getting physical without actually having a real commitment. People talk about the "hook-up culture", well we have it here on campus at FUS as well. The only thing is, the majority of our hook-ups are mostly people just making out (though we certainly have a decent amount of actual hook-ups).
Due to all of that, we're trying something new. Or old, depending on how you look at it. During the month of November we are trying to encourage actual dating, and not just dating itself but a more healthy approach to relationships in general.
Here's the deal: during the month of November, men are highly encouraged to ask women on dates. They should ask someone that they are actually interested in getting to know better, not just someone they already know who it's easy to ask. Women are highly encouraged to say "yes" unless they have a good reason not to. Good reasons to say "no" include: they're already in a relationship, they're in a dating fast, they're planning on entering the convent, the guy creeps them out. Bad reasons to say "no" include: fear of what the date might mean, they're too busy (you almost always can do just a half-hour coffee date), they don't want to "lead him on", they're not physically attracted to the man, they'd like to go out with another guy. The no-fear part applies to both the men and women, men often are scared to ask a women on a date and women are often scared to go on a date. That ain't right.
Men may ask multiple women on dates, women may say "yes" if multiple men ask them on dates. The thing is, people think there is all this commitment in going on a date. All you're committing to is going on a date! Just because you go on a date with someone does not mean you're going to wind up in the burial plot next to them. In fact, statistically the chances of you actually winding up with someone you go on a date with are not that great.
The man is expected to pay for the date if payment is required. On her part, the woman does not "owe" the man anything just because he's paying for a date. Many times in our culture a man expects some sort of physical reward for paying for a date with a woman. That's what we call prostitution. On a date with a non-psychotic person, the man is enjoying the woman's company and offering her the enjoyment of his company. The fact that the man pays is traditional and only makes sense if he is the one asking the woman on a date. In a non-traditional setting where the woman asks the man on a date it only makes sense that the woman would pay.
The first date should be of an appropriate length with appropriate activities. 60-90 minutes is recommended. That may seem short to most people, but the idea is that if the guy keeps talking to the girl for more than 90 minutes his chances of saying something stupid or tanking in some other way rise exponentially. If after a 90-minute date you still want to keep talking to the girl, that's great. If the conversation is going so well, you can definitely ask for a second date when your 90 minutes are up and you walk her back to her dorm or wherever. I also highly recommend going during the daytime or early evening. Coffee, lunch, or dinner are the traditional things. If you're going for coffee don't go to Jazzman's, at least walk down to Sandella's. If you're going for dinner don't go too far, otherwise you'll wast all of your 90 minutes in the car (rookie mistake).
A few more things for first dates: physical affection is highly discouraged on the first date. The hug goodbye is a subject of much debate, I personally think it depends on the people (though understand that when I say hug goodbye I don't mean smashing your bodies together in a mass of writhing arms where you just happen to be clothed). Also, let me say something to the ladies. When your female friend is asked on a date do NOT freak out on her. You can be excited, but when you make it seem like it's the biggest most awesome thing in the world that this totally cute boy asked her out and they're definitely going to get married and spend forever together oh my gosh I can't believe it... you're not doing them any favors. You know what I mean.
Expect several more blog posts over the course of the month on this topic. I definitely will be going into how an actual relationship should develop in this model. Feel free to leave a question or comment!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Second job?
I had an interview today for a second job. It was really more of a meeting than an interview, it was with H&R Block who I worked for last Spring. They wanted me to come back this next tax season and I wasn't quite sure whether or not I wanted to. After my interview I was positive whether I wanted to come back, and quite excited about the answer!
The answer is no.
I will not be working a second job for H&R Block come January, and I couldn't be happier about it.
There are several reasons why. One of them is that I just want to spend more time with my wife and the other people in my life that mean a lot to me. Working two jobs would mean not a lot of quality time, and I love me some quality time. I'd always heard about those people who are workaholics and never spend time with their families, but my experience last year helped me understand them. The thing is, extra money is nice. Very nice in fact. But is extra money better than spending time with people you love? Heck no.
Another reason is so I can focus more on my job search. I've already posted about it, but I get my MBA in December and I'm going to start looking for a job hardcore come January. They say that looking for a job is a job in and of itself, and had I started a second job I would have a lot less time to spend looking. I'm excited to actually devote some real time to job searching.
I feel like I don't devote enough time to my current job as it is. Being an RD means only a little scheduled work time and a lot of unscheduled work and just spending time with people. Last year when I was working two jobs (and taking grad classes) I think I fell behind and didn't do the best job I could.
Spending time in a branch office today during my interview really reminded me what being in a tax office is like, and what H&R Block is like as a company. Don't get me wrong, there were some very good things about working for them. The people I worked with were great and we had some good times. The problems came more from the corporate side of things and just serving the public in an office like that. I like people, but I don't like having to sell things to people. I had plenty of that in my time in retail, and I ain't going back. I really don't appreciate how H&R Block sells additional products to their customers. A lot of the little commissions you make come from selling unnecessary financial products to people who shouldn't be buying them, and I refuse to do that.
Also on the corporate side of things, I dislike their compensation policies. I like to spend time thinking and talking about incentive management, and H&R Block does not do it well. They have a bonus available based on commissions, but it's a replacement commission type thing. You make an hourly wage but have the ability to "bonus" at the end of the tax season. The thing is, the bonus is just the difference between your hourly wage and the amount you would have made had you been straight commission. Therefore if you don't make enough commissions to exceed your standard wages you don't get any of them, and if you do make enough commissions to exceed your standard wages it doesn't matter how many hours you worked. Personally that makes me less motivated to both earn commissions AND work more hours. Maybe it works the opposite way for some people, but if there's a chance that I won't actually get the commissions I earn, I'm not going to feel super motivated to earn them.
All in all I just feel like a huge load has been lifted. My schedule over the next couple of months has lightened up as I don't have to worry about doing all of the training things that they make you do. Yeah, we'll have less money in the Spring. That's ok, we just might not go anywhere for Spring break and spend more time doing things that don't cost money. After all, the best things in life are free. By that of course I mean love and board games. Though come to think of it board games aren't free. But I have enough, I don't have to buy any more. We can just play them. Anyway... kind of wrote myself into a rut there... so I guess I'm done. Peace!
The answer is no.
I will not be working a second job for H&R Block come January, and I couldn't be happier about it.
There are several reasons why. One of them is that I just want to spend more time with my wife and the other people in my life that mean a lot to me. Working two jobs would mean not a lot of quality time, and I love me some quality time. I'd always heard about those people who are workaholics and never spend time with their families, but my experience last year helped me understand them. The thing is, extra money is nice. Very nice in fact. But is extra money better than spending time with people you love? Heck no.
Another reason is so I can focus more on my job search. I've already posted about it, but I get my MBA in December and I'm going to start looking for a job hardcore come January. They say that looking for a job is a job in and of itself, and had I started a second job I would have a lot less time to spend looking. I'm excited to actually devote some real time to job searching.
I feel like I don't devote enough time to my current job as it is. Being an RD means only a little scheduled work time and a lot of unscheduled work and just spending time with people. Last year when I was working two jobs (and taking grad classes) I think I fell behind and didn't do the best job I could.
Spending time in a branch office today during my interview really reminded me what being in a tax office is like, and what H&R Block is like as a company. Don't get me wrong, there were some very good things about working for them. The people I worked with were great and we had some good times. The problems came more from the corporate side of things and just serving the public in an office like that. I like people, but I don't like having to sell things to people. I had plenty of that in my time in retail, and I ain't going back. I really don't appreciate how H&R Block sells additional products to their customers. A lot of the little commissions you make come from selling unnecessary financial products to people who shouldn't be buying them, and I refuse to do that.
Also on the corporate side of things, I dislike their compensation policies. I like to spend time thinking and talking about incentive management, and H&R Block does not do it well. They have a bonus available based on commissions, but it's a replacement commission type thing. You make an hourly wage but have the ability to "bonus" at the end of the tax season. The thing is, the bonus is just the difference between your hourly wage and the amount you would have made had you been straight commission. Therefore if you don't make enough commissions to exceed your standard wages you don't get any of them, and if you do make enough commissions to exceed your standard wages it doesn't matter how many hours you worked. Personally that makes me less motivated to both earn commissions AND work more hours. Maybe it works the opposite way for some people, but if there's a chance that I won't actually get the commissions I earn, I'm not going to feel super motivated to earn them.
All in all I just feel like a huge load has been lifted. My schedule over the next couple of months has lightened up as I don't have to worry about doing all of the training things that they make you do. Yeah, we'll have less money in the Spring. That's ok, we just might not go anywhere for Spring break and spend more time doing things that don't cost money. After all, the best things in life are free. By that of course I mean love and board games. Though come to think of it board games aren't free. But I have enough, I don't have to buy any more. We can just play them. Anyway... kind of wrote myself into a rut there... so I guess I'm done. Peace!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Our weekend in the Laurel Highlands
As mentioned in the previous post, Wifey and I spent last weekend in the Laurel Highlands. If you haven't read that post, it talks about our experience glamping and can be found here. I wanted to just give a run-down of the things we did when we weren't chilling at the glampsite.
The Laurel Highlands is a region in southwestern Pennsylvania that is just southeast of Pittsburgh. The mountains there (part of the Allegheny Mountains) are the highest in the state. The area is very beautiful and Wifey and I both already had a love of it from previous experiences, which is why we decided to spend a weekend out there.
We left fairly early Friday morning and drove straight to the Laurel Highlands to a Frank Lloyd Wright house named Fallingwater. Fallingwater is the most famous Frank Lloyd Wright house and is probably the instant mental picture you get when you hear "Frank Lloyd Wright", even if you didn't know that's what it was called. We went on a tour of the house, which was very interesting. I'm no architecture buff (Wifey is) but it was just amazing the way that Wright designed the house around the natural environment. Wright liked the style known as "Organic Architecture", where buildings do not subdue the environment around them but rather incorporate it and exist harmoniously with it.
After leaving Fallingwater we drove to Kentuck Knob, another Frank Lloyd Wright house not too far away. We ate some PB & J in the parking lot and then rode the shuttle up to the house. Kentuck Knob was also quite interesting and very distinct from Fallingwater. Kentuck Knob was built as a permanent residence, and the couple who had it built lived there for 28 years. It is also built into the top of a hillside and not over a waterfall, so it has a very different feel to it. The house really exuded warmth and charm. I told Wifey afterwards that Fallingwater was cool, but I would actually want to live at Kentuck Knob (she of course had already expressed the same opinion to me having been to both houses previously).
After Kentuck Knob we drove to the small town of Confluence and wasted a little time in an antiques store while waiting for our check-in time for glamping. Wifey and I go to a lot of antiques places and flea markets but we very rarely buy anything. Our lack of a house is probably the main reason. After wasting some time we went to the glamping site and spent the rest of the day there.
On Saturday we started by driving to the Laurel Caverns. Let me tell you, if you're ever in the area, skip the Laurel Caverns. Totally lame. They don't have any stalactites or stalagmites! All of the rock formations are pretty much the same... just rocks. Our tour guide didn't help either, he was this old guy who wasn't very excited. He did say "gee" a lot (as in "gee folks, this section of the cavern was discovered in..."). By the time our tour was up we hightailed it out of there. The one cool thing was that they had a section of the cavern where you could close a couple of doors in passages and then they turned the lights out. Total darkness, kind of weird.
Afterwards we drove up to Ligonier where they were having Fort Ligonier Days, an annual festival. There were a LOT of people there, so we didn't enjoy it as much as we were hoping. There were some interesting vendors, so that was fun. We wandered around the festival and saw all the various vendors, then went to a toy store to see what they had. I love looking through toy stores, toys are awesome (games too of course).
After leaving Ligonier we drove home by a different way and stopped at a flea market, where we actually bought a couple of things! Wifey found a stove-top popcorn-maker and a lion costume for Domino (our dog). After the flea market we stopped at The Old General Store, which was decent. We bought some popcorn and some gourmet hot chocolate for the glampsite and headed back there. Upon getting back I built a campfire (or was it a glampfire?) and she prepared dinner of cornbread, sausage, potatoes, and onions with some popcorn afterwards. Delicious, and it's always awesome to cook right over a campfire.
Sunday morning we slept in a bit (not compared to what we usually sleep in to though) and then packed up the glampsite. On the way back we stopped at a local winery for a complimentary tasting and picked up a delicious bottle of cider. We love cider. If you haven't had real cider (it tastes kind of like apple wine), just the kind you can buy in bottles at the grocery, give it a try sometime.
We decided to maybe stop in Pittsburgh for a late lunch so we drove there by a way we don't normally go. After driving a while we decided not to go into the actual city but just to stop at Settler's Ridge, so we wound up going to Red Robin (yum!). It was our only restaurant meal of the trip! Cooking for yourself is a nice way to save some money on a weekend trip. After eating we drove back to Steubenville and went to an evening mass.
It was a fantastic weekend. We saw lots of beautiful scenery and saw some interesting things, but the best part was having a weekend with just the two of us.
The Laurel Highlands is a region in southwestern Pennsylvania that is just southeast of Pittsburgh. The mountains there (part of the Allegheny Mountains) are the highest in the state. The area is very beautiful and Wifey and I both already had a love of it from previous experiences, which is why we decided to spend a weekend out there.
We left fairly early Friday morning and drove straight to the Laurel Highlands to a Frank Lloyd Wright house named Fallingwater. Fallingwater is the most famous Frank Lloyd Wright house and is probably the instant mental picture you get when you hear "Frank Lloyd Wright", even if you didn't know that's what it was called. We went on a tour of the house, which was very interesting. I'm no architecture buff (Wifey is) but it was just amazing the way that Wright designed the house around the natural environment. Wright liked the style known as "Organic Architecture", where buildings do not subdue the environment around them but rather incorporate it and exist harmoniously with it.
A building should grace its environment rather than disgrace it. -Frank Lloyd WrightIt started raining while we were on our tour of the house, which was actually quite beautiful (and gave me the opportunity to make a few "falling water" jokes of course). One thing about Fallingwater was that it was designed as a weekend home, not a permanent home. It definitely gave the feel of a place where you could just get away from it all.
After leaving Fallingwater we drove to Kentuck Knob, another Frank Lloyd Wright house not too far away. We ate some PB & J in the parking lot and then rode the shuttle up to the house. Kentuck Knob was also quite interesting and very distinct from Fallingwater. Kentuck Knob was built as a permanent residence, and the couple who had it built lived there for 28 years. It is also built into the top of a hillside and not over a waterfall, so it has a very different feel to it. The house really exuded warmth and charm. I told Wifey afterwards that Fallingwater was cool, but I would actually want to live at Kentuck Knob (she of course had already expressed the same opinion to me having been to both houses previously).
After Kentuck Knob we drove to the small town of Confluence and wasted a little time in an antiques store while waiting for our check-in time for glamping. Wifey and I go to a lot of antiques places and flea markets but we very rarely buy anything. Our lack of a house is probably the main reason. After wasting some time we went to the glamping site and spent the rest of the day there.
On Saturday we started by driving to the Laurel Caverns. Let me tell you, if you're ever in the area, skip the Laurel Caverns. Totally lame. They don't have any stalactites or stalagmites! All of the rock formations are pretty much the same... just rocks. Our tour guide didn't help either, he was this old guy who wasn't very excited. He did say "gee" a lot (as in "gee folks, this section of the cavern was discovered in..."). By the time our tour was up we hightailed it out of there. The one cool thing was that they had a section of the cavern where you could close a couple of doors in passages and then they turned the lights out. Total darkness, kind of weird.
Afterwards we drove up to Ligonier where they were having Fort Ligonier Days, an annual festival. There were a LOT of people there, so we didn't enjoy it as much as we were hoping. There were some interesting vendors, so that was fun. We wandered around the festival and saw all the various vendors, then went to a toy store to see what they had. I love looking through toy stores, toys are awesome (games too of course).
After leaving Ligonier we drove home by a different way and stopped at a flea market, where we actually bought a couple of things! Wifey found a stove-top popcorn-maker and a lion costume for Domino (our dog). After the flea market we stopped at The Old General Store, which was decent. We bought some popcorn and some gourmet hot chocolate for the glampsite and headed back there. Upon getting back I built a campfire (or was it a glampfire?) and she prepared dinner of cornbread, sausage, potatoes, and onions with some popcorn afterwards. Delicious, and it's always awesome to cook right over a campfire.
Sunday morning we slept in a bit (not compared to what we usually sleep in to though) and then packed up the glampsite. On the way back we stopped at a local winery for a complimentary tasting and picked up a delicious bottle of cider. We love cider. If you haven't had real cider (it tastes kind of like apple wine), just the kind you can buy in bottles at the grocery, give it a try sometime.
We decided to maybe stop in Pittsburgh for a late lunch so we drove there by a way we don't normally go. After driving a while we decided not to go into the actual city but just to stop at Settler's Ridge, so we wound up going to Red Robin (yum!). It was our only restaurant meal of the trip! Cooking for yourself is a nice way to save some money on a weekend trip. After eating we drove back to Steubenville and went to an evening mass.
It was a fantastic weekend. We saw lots of beautiful scenery and saw some interesting things, but the best part was having a weekend with just the two of us.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Glamping!
This weekend wifey and I went glamping.
You've probably never heard of it (I feel like such a hipster). Glamping is the term used for "glamorous camping", which is apparently an up-and-coming thing. The idea is basically that you sleep in a tent outside but there is a bed in the tent and possibly other amenities that would normally be associated more with cabins than camping.
We went glamping at Campbell Farm in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. Wifey and I both love the Laurel Highlands and she found the site while looking for places to stay there. This was our tent:
It's a little difficult to see, but there is a main tent with a larger canopy over it. The larger canopy also goes over the porch area which includes a nice table with a couple of chairs. The bed inside is queen-sized and has a heated mattress (very nice!). There are some electric lamps, books, games, and assorted furniture as well.
The shelter-type thingy was a few yards away from the tent and provided the kitchen and bathroom areas. The kitchen had a three-burner propane stove, sink with running hot water, ice box, and mini-fridge. There were plenty of dishes and everything to prepare food. Wifey made some great meals including one made entirely over the campfire (cornbread, potatoes, onions, sausage, popcorn, and gluten-free smores thingies).
The bathroom area was just a sink and a bathtub. The bathtub was definitely Wifey's favorite part. She wound up taking three baths, I took two. I must say that bathing outside was definitely a great experience. There's just something about being naked out in the open, not to mention a hot bath is always amazing. Feel free not to visualize any of that. Also, don't knock it 'til you try it.
The picture to the right is the outhouse, cleverly marked "Conference Room" (okaay then). The outhouse was a good distance from the rest of the site, which was nice. I must say though, I hate outhouses. I'm sure there isn't anyone (at least anyone normal) who just loves outhouses or anything, but I feel like I dislike them more than the general populace. Anyway, I would consider the outhouse to be the one negative thing to the whole experience, but I suppose it's better than just going in the woods.
That brings up the whole question as to why we went glamping in the first place. The bottom line is that Wifey likes to camp and I don't. She has all of these memories and sentimental reasons as to why she likes camping, but I just didn't camp growing up (other than the backyard). Because I don't have those memories, I just don't see the point in making yourself uncomfortable. Supposedly camping is all about experiencing the outdoors, but I will gladly experience the outdoors and then go back to the lodge and enjoy a hot shower and a toilet that flushes.
Anyway, glamping seemed like a great compromise for us. After experiencing it I would definitely go again. Very relaxing and a great way to experience the outdoors without sacrificing (too much) comfort.
(all photos taken from http://www.campbellfarmglamping.com/index.html)
You've probably never heard of it (I feel like such a hipster). Glamping is the term used for "glamorous camping", which is apparently an up-and-coming thing. The idea is basically that you sleep in a tent outside but there is a bed in the tent and possibly other amenities that would normally be associated more with cabins than camping.
We went glamping at Campbell Farm in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. Wifey and I both love the Laurel Highlands and she found the site while looking for places to stay there. This was our tent:
It's a little difficult to see, but there is a main tent with a larger canopy over it. The larger canopy also goes over the porch area which includes a nice table with a couple of chairs. The bed inside is queen-sized and has a heated mattress (very nice!). There are some electric lamps, books, games, and assorted furniture as well.
The shelter-type thingy was a few yards away from the tent and provided the kitchen and bathroom areas. The kitchen had a three-burner propane stove, sink with running hot water, ice box, and mini-fridge. There were plenty of dishes and everything to prepare food. Wifey made some great meals including one made entirely over the campfire (cornbread, potatoes, onions, sausage, popcorn, and gluten-free smores thingies).
The bathroom area was just a sink and a bathtub. The bathtub was definitely Wifey's favorite part. She wound up taking three baths, I took two. I must say that bathing outside was definitely a great experience. There's just something about being naked out in the open, not to mention a hot bath is always amazing. Feel free not to visualize any of that. Also, don't knock it 'til you try it.
The picture to the right is the outhouse, cleverly marked "Conference Room" (okaay then). The outhouse was a good distance from the rest of the site, which was nice. I must say though, I hate outhouses. I'm sure there isn't anyone (at least anyone normal) who just loves outhouses or anything, but I feel like I dislike them more than the general populace. Anyway, I would consider the outhouse to be the one negative thing to the whole experience, but I suppose it's better than just going in the woods.That brings up the whole question as to why we went glamping in the first place. The bottom line is that Wifey likes to camp and I don't. She has all of these memories and sentimental reasons as to why she likes camping, but I just didn't camp growing up (other than the backyard). Because I don't have those memories, I just don't see the point in making yourself uncomfortable. Supposedly camping is all about experiencing the outdoors, but I will gladly experience the outdoors and then go back to the lodge and enjoy a hot shower and a toilet that flushes.
Anyway, glamping seemed like a great compromise for us. After experiencing it I would definitely go again. Very relaxing and a great way to experience the outdoors without sacrificing (too much) comfort.
(all photos taken from http://www.campbellfarmglamping.com/index.html)
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
A look in the mirror
I had an interesting experience about a week ago. I recently started going to the gym again. Three times a week I do strength training and twice a week I run on the treadmill. This particular day was a running day and I wound up going a little after 10 pm.
Usually I prefer to run on an indoor track, but we don't really have that here. I used to run around the fieldhouse, which was decent, but the temporary gym is located very close to my apartment so it's really convenient to just run there (they're renovating the actual gym).
The way the temporary gym is set up is that the treadmills look out the window, which is a big improvement on the storage closet they used to be in before they started renovating the fieldhouse (not an exaggeration by the way, they treadmills were actually in a room designed to be a storage closet). This particular day it was dark out by the time I started running, so instead of looking out the window I spent the whole run looking directly at my reflection in the window.
It was a very interesting experience. I've never seen myself run before, and for that matter I don't really ever see myself when I'm going about my day. Really the only time I ever look in a mirror is when I'm combing my hair or shaving, so only for about two minutes a day (electric shaver for the win). I don't even really particularly have a "mental picture" of myself, I mean I know what I look like but I don't spend time thinking about it.
One thing that was interesting was seeing myself with a beard. I've had a beard for a little over two months now, and I'd never had facial hair before in my life. No mustache (yet), just a beard. I think it works decently well for me, definitely worth trying out. I will be doing No-Shave November for the first time in my life next month, so we'll see how the mustache comes in. I may wind up deciding to shave everything off come December.
Another interesting thing was how intense I am when I run. Wifey doesn't understand how I only listen to "angry music" when I run (there are some more positive songs on my playlist, but not many). Angry music just motivates me better! This may possibly mean I'm psychotic, but at least I know myself. Anyway, my face while running ranged from 'serious' to 'totally hardcore' to the occasional 'raging'. I wonder if I scare other people in the gym.
The thing that was most interesting about the experience was realizing that I am noticeably overweight. It's not really something that I think about a lot, but my face clearly shows the extra chubbiness that I'm carrying around. My weight is currently about 205, which has pretty much been the norm for most of my adult life. The only time I really got in decent shape was right before I started dating wifey when I was thinking about joining the air force. I got down to about 178 or so at the time, but after I passed my physical my motivation started to slide. The motivation really took a nosedive when I decided not to join the military.
I have a much better reason now to get in shape. Exercising and losing weight could help us with our infertility. It's certainly not guaranteed to help us, but it's enough of a reason that I should be able to maintain my motivation a little better. Leading a more physically disciplined life will also hopefully help me become more spiritually disciplined, something I definitely need to work more on. It comes down to a matter of willpower until it becomes routine. I'm hoping to stay on track for a good long while this time, or maybe even staying physically fit for good.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
My top 10 TV shows
So I just wanted to do a fun post about my favorite TV shows. I've been procrastinating blogging like crazy, so this is a good way to get back into it. I'll probably do some more top 10 lists in the future on some others stuff, so stay tuned.
I really enjoy watching TV shows. What I mean by that is that I actually like sitting down and watching a season or entire series of a particular show. I'm generally opposed to just browsing channels on a regular basis because it pretty much just wastes time. Actually getting into a story is much more interesting. That being said, sometimes you just want to watch a comedy episode that stands alone without caring too much about an overarching story.
I'll first post my top 10 TV shows and a little about why I like each one. Afterwards I'll post the top 10 shows I'm interested in watching, and you can tell me if I missed anything. There are some shows that I would probably enjoy but choose not to watch due to nudity, such as Game of Thrones. There are too many quality shows without much nudity to justify spending a lot of time on shows with it.
So, my top 10 TV shows!
10. Futurama
Futurama (or Simpsons in space) is the only animated show to make it on my list. I considered South Park in this spot instead, but South Park is a little hit-or-miss with the offensiveness factor. South Park as a whole is funnier, but I just can't put it in the top 10 due to a few episodes that are disgusting. When I list Futurama here I mean the original 4 seasons. After coming back from cancellation Futurama just wasn't quite as good (the Family Guy syndrome). Futurama beats out the Simpsons because it just has more freedom when it comes to story (and hence jokes). Being set in the future and focused on a group of people instead of just one family means that Futurama was able to do some crazy episodes. Favorite character: Dr. Zoidberg.
9. The West Wing
I watched most of The West Wing (never finished it) while home from college in the summers, borrowing seasons from the library. Great characters and fantastic dialogue, which should be expected in an Aaron Sorkin production. I can't say I appreciated the politics of the main characters and the somewhat ham-handed way they handled conservatism, but this is a show that made me care about the characters and how they would handle the situations that arose. Favorite character: Toby Ziegler.
8. Prison Break
Gotta start off with a disclaimer: the first season of Prison Break only. Second season was good, afterwards I stopped caring or bothering (did they have more than three?). But first season? Holy cow. Amazing. The tension, the layers, the characters, the unknown. Just learning more about who these people are is amazing. Favorite character: hard to say, maybe Linc? Abruzzi?
7. The IT Crowd
British sitcom about the three members of an IT department at a large company. The interactions of the three characters create some truly absurd situations that have to be seen. This show is completely hilarious in every way. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself. Favorite character: slight edge goes to Roy.
6. Jeeves and Wooster
Another British comedy! Jeeves and Wooster stars Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry as P.G. Wodehouse's famous idle rich man and his "personal gentleman's gentleman." Amazing characters and witty dialogue (on the part of Jeeves of course) are highlights in the many stories of Jeeves extricating Bertie from the horrors of the prospect of marriage to any one of a number of over-the-top women. This show is an example of how to adapt fiction to the screen well. Favorite character: it's Jeeves and Wooster. Each is only understood in the light of the other. Favorite minor character: Spode. No wait, Gussie. No, Madeline. Basically anybody around at Totleigh Towers.
5. Lost
Lost is the show I was into the most while the show was actually being aired. I remember watching the second season at a friend's house off-campus or in the TV Lounge in Trinity Hall and shouting at the TV in amazement at various points. Lost is a show that started off just about perfectly. Season one is definitely one of the best seasons of television ever made. The show faltered in the third seasons but managed to pick it back up after then, to the point where season six is almost as good as season two (and yes, I'm one of the few people who actually likes the much-maligned ending). Favorite character: Mr. Eko.
4. Arrested Development
The only American comedy on my list, I consider Arrested Development to be the funniest show ever made. The characters are amazing, the dialogue is hilarious, the recurring jokes are great, the hidden jokes are great. There are some cringe-worthy moments that some people don't appreciate, but definitely worth it in my opinion. Among the many quotable shows and movies, this is one of the most quotable (especially anything said by Gob). The recent season on Netflix after years of cancellation wasn't great, but I wasn't really expecting it to be. The original three seasons are incredible. Favorite character: Buster.
3. Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a ten-part mini-series made by Tom Hanks following Easy Company of the 506th regiment, 101st Airborne division as they experience WWII in Europe, including Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and the siege of Bastogne. Band of Brothers is warfare at its most realistic. Not for the faint of heart, but the way you are placed in the action alongside the men is incredible. I highly recommend it if watching warfare doesn't bother you. Favorite character: Winters. Couldn't really choose anyone else.
2. Sherlock
Sherlock is an interesting choice in that each episode is ninety minutes long, so basically a movie. Sherlock sets Sherlock Holmes in modern-day London and manages to pull it off very well. Holmes' eccentricities are played to the maximum, but it actually works. Only six episodes so far (in two seasons), but that's a lot of TV with the length of the episodes. Sherlock manages to be very intelligent while still fun. Favorite character: Watson.
1. Firefly
Firefly is hands-down my favorite TV show. They didn't even make a full season since it got cancelled pretty early on. This is an example of a cult show that is worth the hype. The network airing it really screwed it over by not showing the pilot and starting with the second episode (which didn't include much introduction). Ratings were not there, but man is this a great show. The premise is basically a western in space (trust me, it works) where the rebellion against the evil empire people failed. The show follows a ship just barely making ends meet by taking any kind of job (even legal ones) that'll keep them in the air. The characters are amazing, the dialogue is great, and the universe is fantastic. Firefly does an excellent job of showing a future that could actually happen, not the white-washed future of Star Trek. Great humor, great action, great plot lines that sadly do not get enough time to fully develop. Watch the show, then watch Serenity (the movie made after the show was cancelled). Favorite character: hard to say, either Mal, Jayne, or Simon.
Top 10 shows I'm interested in watching: (some of these I've seen a few episodes of, but not a season or anything)
10. Parks and Recreation
9. Alias
8. Mad Men
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
6. Once Upon a Time
5. Twin Peaks
4. Fringe
3. Farscape
2. The Wire
1. Dollhouse
Thoughts? What did I leave off that I have to see?
I really enjoy watching TV shows. What I mean by that is that I actually like sitting down and watching a season or entire series of a particular show. I'm generally opposed to just browsing channels on a regular basis because it pretty much just wastes time. Actually getting into a story is much more interesting. That being said, sometimes you just want to watch a comedy episode that stands alone without caring too much about an overarching story.
I'll first post my top 10 TV shows and a little about why I like each one. Afterwards I'll post the top 10 shows I'm interested in watching, and you can tell me if I missed anything. There are some shows that I would probably enjoy but choose not to watch due to nudity, such as Game of Thrones. There are too many quality shows without much nudity to justify spending a lot of time on shows with it.
So, my top 10 TV shows!
10. Futurama
Futurama (or Simpsons in space) is the only animated show to make it on my list. I considered South Park in this spot instead, but South Park is a little hit-or-miss with the offensiveness factor. South Park as a whole is funnier, but I just can't put it in the top 10 due to a few episodes that are disgusting. When I list Futurama here I mean the original 4 seasons. After coming back from cancellation Futurama just wasn't quite as good (the Family Guy syndrome). Futurama beats out the Simpsons because it just has more freedom when it comes to story (and hence jokes). Being set in the future and focused on a group of people instead of just one family means that Futurama was able to do some crazy episodes. Favorite character: Dr. Zoidberg.
9. The West Wing
I watched most of The West Wing (never finished it) while home from college in the summers, borrowing seasons from the library. Great characters and fantastic dialogue, which should be expected in an Aaron Sorkin production. I can't say I appreciated the politics of the main characters and the somewhat ham-handed way they handled conservatism, but this is a show that made me care about the characters and how they would handle the situations that arose. Favorite character: Toby Ziegler.
8. Prison Break
Gotta start off with a disclaimer: the first season of Prison Break only. Second season was good, afterwards I stopped caring or bothering (did they have more than three?). But first season? Holy cow. Amazing. The tension, the layers, the characters, the unknown. Just learning more about who these people are is amazing. Favorite character: hard to say, maybe Linc? Abruzzi?
7. The IT Crowd
British sitcom about the three members of an IT department at a large company. The interactions of the three characters create some truly absurd situations that have to be seen. This show is completely hilarious in every way. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself. Favorite character: slight edge goes to Roy.
6. Jeeves and Wooster
Another British comedy! Jeeves and Wooster stars Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry as P.G. Wodehouse's famous idle rich man and his "personal gentleman's gentleman." Amazing characters and witty dialogue (on the part of Jeeves of course) are highlights in the many stories of Jeeves extricating Bertie from the horrors of the prospect of marriage to any one of a number of over-the-top women. This show is an example of how to adapt fiction to the screen well. Favorite character: it's Jeeves and Wooster. Each is only understood in the light of the other. Favorite minor character: Spode. No wait, Gussie. No, Madeline. Basically anybody around at Totleigh Towers.
5. Lost
Lost is the show I was into the most while the show was actually being aired. I remember watching the second season at a friend's house off-campus or in the TV Lounge in Trinity Hall and shouting at the TV in amazement at various points. Lost is a show that started off just about perfectly. Season one is definitely one of the best seasons of television ever made. The show faltered in the third seasons but managed to pick it back up after then, to the point where season six is almost as good as season two (and yes, I'm one of the few people who actually likes the much-maligned ending). Favorite character: Mr. Eko.
4. Arrested Development
The only American comedy on my list, I consider Arrested Development to be the funniest show ever made. The characters are amazing, the dialogue is hilarious, the recurring jokes are great, the hidden jokes are great. There are some cringe-worthy moments that some people don't appreciate, but definitely worth it in my opinion. Among the many quotable shows and movies, this is one of the most quotable (especially anything said by Gob). The recent season on Netflix after years of cancellation wasn't great, but I wasn't really expecting it to be. The original three seasons are incredible. Favorite character: Buster.
3. Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a ten-part mini-series made by Tom Hanks following Easy Company of the 506th regiment, 101st Airborne division as they experience WWII in Europe, including Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and the siege of Bastogne. Band of Brothers is warfare at its most realistic. Not for the faint of heart, but the way you are placed in the action alongside the men is incredible. I highly recommend it if watching warfare doesn't bother you. Favorite character: Winters. Couldn't really choose anyone else.
2. Sherlock
Sherlock is an interesting choice in that each episode is ninety minutes long, so basically a movie. Sherlock sets Sherlock Holmes in modern-day London and manages to pull it off very well. Holmes' eccentricities are played to the maximum, but it actually works. Only six episodes so far (in two seasons), but that's a lot of TV with the length of the episodes. Sherlock manages to be very intelligent while still fun. Favorite character: Watson.
1. Firefly
Firefly is hands-down my favorite TV show. They didn't even make a full season since it got cancelled pretty early on. This is an example of a cult show that is worth the hype. The network airing it really screwed it over by not showing the pilot and starting with the second episode (which didn't include much introduction). Ratings were not there, but man is this a great show. The premise is basically a western in space (trust me, it works) where the rebellion against the evil empire people failed. The show follows a ship just barely making ends meet by taking any kind of job (even legal ones) that'll keep them in the air. The characters are amazing, the dialogue is great, and the universe is fantastic. Firefly does an excellent job of showing a future that could actually happen, not the white-washed future of Star Trek. Great humor, great action, great plot lines that sadly do not get enough time to fully develop. Watch the show, then watch Serenity (the movie made after the show was cancelled). Favorite character: hard to say, either Mal, Jayne, or Simon.
Top 10 shows I'm interested in watching: (some of these I've seen a few episodes of, but not a season or anything)
10. Parks and Recreation
9. Alias
8. Mad Men
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
6. Once Upon a Time
5. Twin Peaks
4. Fringe
3. Farscape
2. The Wire
1. Dollhouse
Thoughts? What did I leave off that I have to see?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Starting the job search again
Well, I've been a Residence Director for about three and a half years now. It's certainly been the best job I've ever had, but I'm getting to the point where it's time to move on. I'll be graduating with my MBA in December, so I won't be taking classes anymore. Wifey and I are also a little tired of living on campus.
As well, my earnings potential is much higher than what my current position offers. Come June (when my current school year will be done) I will have six years of management experience and a master's degree in a relevant field. I know that having the ability to make more money is not a good enough reason in and of itself to leave a job, but it certainly is a consideration. I have a bunch of student loan debt, wifey and I both have medical issues, and the possibility exists of starting an expensive adoption process. Money may not be the most important thing in the world, but it sure comes in handy!
I've started some preliminary work for my job search already: touching up the ol' resumé, expanding my LinkedIn profile (still needs work), setting an appointment with Career Services here on campus, and making a few decisions as to where to look. I will begin searching in earnest in January since I'm in this job until June.
The last time I was doing a major job search was when I graduated with my undergrad. At that time I was looking to move to Pittsburgh but didn't really know what field to look in. Completely different now, we're not looking for any particular area but I have a couple of fields I'd like to be in.
When it comes to where we'd like to be, we're fairly open-ended right now. There are certain considerations like proximity to our families, proximity to our friends, areas of the country we like better than others, etc. There is also an idea of ours that it would be nice to live in Europe for a few years since we both love it so much, so at least we have it narrowed down to two continents!
As far as a field to work in, there are two main areas that I will be looking at. I am definitely interested in higher education administration, as in working for a university. The thing with that though is that I would only want to work for a Catholic university, there are too many things I don't agree with when it comes to other schools. The other issue there is that there are a lot of Catholic universities whose Catholicism can be called into question, so it's also tempting just to keep the search to those universities on the Cardinal Newman Society's Guide to Catholic Colleges.
The other field that I'm interested in is Human Resources. I am very interested in employee relations, hiring, firing, incentive management, and labor disputes. Personally I only have experience in employee relations, hiring, and firing; but the other two are very intriguing to me from studying them in classes.
They say that most jobs you get through networking. Back when I was a recent college grad that always frustrated me because I just didn't know many people in the work force. Now almost everyone that I was in undergrad with has a job somewhere, so hopefully that will make things easier. There are also quite a few people that I know from my time working as an RD who have already graduated and gotten themselves jobs, so that might work out too. In the end, I both know more people AND the people I know are older.
Things are very different than the last time I was doing this whole job search thing. More experience, more education (with better grades), better networking opportunities, and (of course) wifey. I'm excited, it will be a lot of work but I think in the end things will work out well!
As well, my earnings potential is much higher than what my current position offers. Come June (when my current school year will be done) I will have six years of management experience and a master's degree in a relevant field. I know that having the ability to make more money is not a good enough reason in and of itself to leave a job, but it certainly is a consideration. I have a bunch of student loan debt, wifey and I both have medical issues, and the possibility exists of starting an expensive adoption process. Money may not be the most important thing in the world, but it sure comes in handy!
I've started some preliminary work for my job search already: touching up the ol' resumé, expanding my LinkedIn profile (still needs work), setting an appointment with Career Services here on campus, and making a few decisions as to where to look. I will begin searching in earnest in January since I'm in this job until June.
The last time I was doing a major job search was when I graduated with my undergrad. At that time I was looking to move to Pittsburgh but didn't really know what field to look in. Completely different now, we're not looking for any particular area but I have a couple of fields I'd like to be in.
When it comes to where we'd like to be, we're fairly open-ended right now. There are certain considerations like proximity to our families, proximity to our friends, areas of the country we like better than others, etc. There is also an idea of ours that it would be nice to live in Europe for a few years since we both love it so much, so at least we have it narrowed down to two continents!
As far as a field to work in, there are two main areas that I will be looking at. I am definitely interested in higher education administration, as in working for a university. The thing with that though is that I would only want to work for a Catholic university, there are too many things I don't agree with when it comes to other schools. The other issue there is that there are a lot of Catholic universities whose Catholicism can be called into question, so it's also tempting just to keep the search to those universities on the Cardinal Newman Society's Guide to Catholic Colleges.
The other field that I'm interested in is Human Resources. I am very interested in employee relations, hiring, firing, incentive management, and labor disputes. Personally I only have experience in employee relations, hiring, and firing; but the other two are very intriguing to me from studying them in classes.
They say that most jobs you get through networking. Back when I was a recent college grad that always frustrated me because I just didn't know many people in the work force. Now almost everyone that I was in undergrad with has a job somewhere, so hopefully that will make things easier. There are also quite a few people that I know from my time working as an RD who have already graduated and gotten themselves jobs, so that might work out too. In the end, I both know more people AND the people I know are older.
Things are very different than the last time I was doing this whole job search thing. More experience, more education (with better grades), better networking opportunities, and (of course) wifey. I'm excited, it will be a lot of work but I think in the end things will work out well!
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