Blog Overhaul

So as you can see I did a pretty big blog overhaul. As I've mentioned before, when I first started this blog I was pretty clueless as to what the actual point was - besides the ranting bit. Now I've decided to take my blog more seriously. I'd be lying if I said I don't care about getting free things and making extra money from it on the side but the more I thought about what I wanted out it - the more I realized that figuring it out was stimulating and fun.

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This blog gives me an area to improve my creativity in many different ways: writing, photography, DIY, food, & time management. This blog (at least I hope) will allow me to use and stimulate all the creativity I've lost from life, work, & adult things like worrying about bills and if I'll have enough money for food. Even though I like my job it isn't very creative and because of that I've been looking for an outlet. I'm hoping that by focusing on this more seriously, more routinely, and with new-found excitement I'll once again learn to take pleasure in life and all the things I do in it.

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When I first graduated high school my major was going to be English because that was what I loved and understood. Eventually that changed to film/video which (to me at least) are pretty similar. But even then I was taking many weird elective classes like: oceanography, astronomy, belly dance, Bollywood dance because I loved to learn. Then all my college plans got messed up and I vowed to never set foot inside a classroom again - leaving me angry at the whole learning thing.

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But I miss it. I miss learning new things and pushing myself to do something perfectly. Finally I realized that this blog is the perfect outlet for the things I know/can learn/will learn. This blog gives me the chance to quit bitching and start doing. (But don't worry I will still bitch because as weird as it sounds those are actually my most viewed posts. I love all you like-minded cynics!) I know that I won't be the best at a lot of the things I do and that no matter how hard I try I will never understand Dreamweaver but with all the free tutorials, applications, and information on the internet there is no reason for my life to be lacking in anything.

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So that's what I've decided this blog will be. It will be my creative outlet. It will force me to push myself to be better at things. Make my writing more concise and finally learn the difference between a colon and a semicolon. I'm hoping that my photography will get better using what I have to help me tell my stories. And lastly I'm hoping that the new direction will help me meet new people. People who like me, hate certain stupid things for no reason at all but who want to live happy lives anyway. I may bitch and moan and watch way too many hours of Netflix without stopping but that doesn't mean that I can't live happily and productively. So now that I've said it, I just have to do it.

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Bitchin' About: Changing Your Mind When You're Older

I turn 25 this November. I know, I know. I'll have lived a quarter of a century. I have acquired so much knowledge, wisdom, experience, and crap I can't bear to throw out. It seems that because of my long-lived life people seem insanely interested in me now, particularly

1. When I'll start having kids
2. When I'll go back to school.

This is the look I give them.

These things, though I admit are mildly interesting, are really no one else's business. I mean, my life cannot be more interesting than whatever happened on Honey Boo Boo. Or whatever celebrity named their child something stupid. For a list of 20 go here.

I mean, unless you're willing to carry my baby around for 9 months and then actually go through with the whole delivery thing I don't understand what business it is of yours. Same can be said about my education: unless you are about to cough up the money for tuition and books, make my schedule work around my full-time job and sort-of-a-social life it's none of your damn business.

But you know, we take our coffee the same way so we're practically BFFs! So yeah, I'm going to nosy into your life and privacy and ask with a smile on my face so as not to seem too eager for an answer.

...OKAY! So I've been holding that one in for a while but that isn't even where my rant begins. Oh no. My rant starts at the end of the conversation.

Random coffee drinker #1: "You ever think about having kids?"
Me: "No. Not really...I don't want kids."

Or

Random coffee drinker #2: "When do you think you'll go back to school?"
Me: "Um..well...I'm not."

Answer to both Questions:
Random Coffee Drinker #1 & 2: "Oh. Well, you'll change your mind when you're older."


Cue the red fiery eyes and steam billowing out of my earholes.

This is what I look like when I wear a ten-gallon hat. 

Nothing gets me more upset/angry/annoyed than that sentence.

I feel like I've heard it all my life. It's like the mantra of anyone who is even remotely older than you.

Person Born Day Before Me: "Do you like the color eggshell white?"
Me: "Um...not particularly."
Person Born Day Before Me: "Oh. Well you will when you're older."


Besides the fact that a lot of the questions that precede this sentence are really none of the other person's business it really grinds my gears when they feel that my mind will change when I get older.

I'm not a Family Guy fan but this is just too perfect. 

The sentence is belittling. It completely invalidates my thoughts, ideas, and experiences up to that point in time. I may very well change my mind when I'm older but that is MY decision to do. It is not something that you should say with a knowing smirk and a roll of the eyes. It is not something that should be said at all.

Hahah. I know sooo much more than you. Look at all my graying hair!

This sentence can be added to the end of many a sentences and in any of the situations it doesn't make you sound caring or concerned. It makes you sound like a dick.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive to the fact that I kind of like having my own thoughts and ideas no matter what age I am. Maybe I take it too seriously when someone claims to know me better than I know myself. Maybe it's the fact that I also kind of like that I have the ability to change my mind, without consequence or repercussions, whenever I feel like it.

If I want to go out and start college & have a baby tomorrow and swaddle them in eggshell white clothes I should be able to do that! I should be able to do them all at the same time without hearing someone else's voice in my head saying in a nagging-sing-songy voice "I told you so! I told you so!"

I'm just ranting but, hey, maybe I'll mellow out when I'm older.

No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake

Today I felt housewifey (and my cream was about to expire) so I decided to finally make that Key Lime Pie I've been dying to eat.

I used this (modified) recipe from All Recipes. 

Ingredients 

For the Key Lime Pie:

• Homemade or Store Bought Crust
• 2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese
• 3/4 cups of lime juice
• 2 - 14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 teaspoon of lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt 

For the Topping: 

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
• 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

The hardest part about this pie is zesting the limes and squeezing enough juice out of them. I used way more than what's shown in the picture. I grabbed a whole bag from HEB and used all but one. 

Directions

1. To Make Lime Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk, lime juice, lime rind, and salt. Whip until mixture is smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly.

This is what the pie looks like before it's chilled and topped. 

I did not have a fine mesh sieve because...really? So instead to make the topping I just...

1. Creamed the heavy whipping cream, added the vanilla, and confectioners sugar. Once everything was in I continued to cream until it was almost like frosting. Chill until ready to serve. 

This is the final product, after it's been chilled overnight.

As you can see it didn't really set. I don't know why. It was super tasty though. Very tart on its own but sweet and creamy when you add the whipped cream topping. When I cut it the slice didn't stay pie-shaped but rather kind of pudding-ed in a bowl. Some of the reviewers on All Recipes called it a Key Lime Cheesecake more than a Key Lime Pie and I guess I'd have to agree but even though I've never made a cheesecake from scratch before either I do know that those are supposed to set.

Anyway....

It's really good either way. Just grab a bowl instead of a plate. And don't even worry about putting it in a pie crust since you can just eat it with graham crackers on the side.

Besides the not-setting fact I loved the flavor but next time I'll probably look for a recipe that requires baking (at least a little bit) and then chilling.

Do you have a favorite, NO-FAIL key lime pie recipe? Let me know. You'll save me a lot of time.

Living Together

John and I have been living together for about six months. I went over to his apartment one night and basically only left to pick up new clothes and do laundry. In May, he moved into my apartment and it's been just the two of us ever since. I know that it hasn't been very long but I already have a few things to say on the whole living-together-thing.

Firstly I have to say that I am a very lucky person. I am completely and totally flattered that he would be sure enough of me to move in, in the first place. I mean, he would have to see me first thing in the morning, right after work, when I'm hungry and cranky or wearing my fat pants. (Fat pants are pants I wear when I'm feeling fat, they are not a description of the pants themselves.) John had a roommate but he had never lived with any of his past girlfriends so he would have a lot more to get used to and a lot more to lose if the whole thing didn't work out.

We talked (and still talk) about how fast and crazy it was for us to start living together. Especially because I really like my alone time. Tons of questions raced through my head about the arrangement. Would I get tired of him? Would he get tired of me? Would he be able to get used to the fact that I tend to impulse buy anything pink, cute, or with an owl? Would he expect me to pick up after myself EVERYDAY? Would he dump me after realizing that night after night I stole all the blankets and ended up over 80% of the bed? The thoughts were there but the wanting I had for him to actually be a big part in my life was stronger.

Because no bed is ever big enough.

So...we talked about it and he packed up his stuff and moved it all into my tiny apartment. The tiny apartment then halved in size making it super-tiny with both of our stuff everywhere. But we did some Goodwill-ing and furniture moving and everything mostly has a place now. Or at least a pile.

There were a few kinks to work out in the beginning. One time he tidied and picked up after me while I was at work. I am a very messy person but I always know where everything is. So when I needed something that I KNEW was on the floor by the couch but couldn't find anything but carpet and a coffee table I was very, very confused. I scoured the entire house looking for it only to have him pull it out of the closet because of course it was the most logical place for my jeans to be.

Pretty sure I had this book when I was younger. But I don't think it stuck. 

There were other things to get used to also like making space in the closet for him or having to cook food for two and then wash the dishes afterward. These things are small things that we've learned to deal with. The bigger things like money we're still trying to get the hang of but I think our progress is pretty damn impressive.

Making the decision to live with someone is a huge one and there is a lot that you have to get used to when it comes to making space in your life (and your closet) for someone else but I absolutely love the fact that he's always there. I love being able to come home and watch Netflix with him on the couch and even the fact that he has to set his alarm super early to go to work doesn't bother me because he kisses me goodbye before leaving.

It might have been quick and crazy but it is one of the better decisions I've made in my life -- right up there with the time I decided to wear shorts under that dress that was too short.

Because I cannot pull off something like that. Via

Lemon Mayo Sandwiches & Apartment Picnics

Today, John and I went to Fredericksburg to visit a friend of mine from college and spend the day. We had made plans to picnic somewhere on our way back home. Unfortunately we did not get to picnic somewhere as other things got in the way and we were still too full from brunching it up with Ari.


But we did have a nice picnic right in our living room since I went through all the trouble of packing it.

The main course was Lemon Mayo Turkey Sandwiches and Tabouleh (or tabbouli). For dessert we had pineapple and some lemon cake.

The sandwich is an easy and filling picnic food. I decided that I wasn't going to go all-out for something that might end up with us leaving because of ants, bugs, or severe heat stroke. Sandwiches are tasty, they travel well and everyone likes them. What made these sandwiches a bit different and summery (yes it's a word...I made up) is the lemon mayo. It adds a nice kick of acidity to the sandwich with the same creaminess you love from your mayo.

Plus! It's super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1. 1-2 Lemons
2. Mayo (I set aside some mayo in a separate, smaller container because I didn't want to turn all it all into lemoniness. The amount of lemons you use is going to depend on how much mayo you use. I would say about 1 lemon per cup of mayo, unless you're like me and like things very lemony. Then feel free to add more.)

Directions:

1. Zest one lemon. 
2. Add it to the mayo.
3. Stir & taste. 
4. If you need more lemony flavor add the zest from the second lemon & stir in. 
5. Add to sandwich. 

Easy right?! Seriously. You'll think your Martha Stewart. In our sandwiches I put cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and turkey but obviously it's your sandwich so feel free to add whatever other toppings you like. 

For our side I made a tabouleh salad instead of a regular garden salad. Tabouleh is a Mediterranean type of salad that is easy to make and refreshing. 

Ingredients: 

1. Bulgar wheat
2. Parsley (I used curly parsley but you can use the flat one)
3. Red onion
4. Tomatoes (I used grape but you can use whatever you like best)
5. Cucumber
6. Olive Oil
7. Lemon 
8. Salt & Pepper 

I know you guys hate me but I really don't measure anything. Please try to bear with me. 

Directions:

1. Cook your bulgar according to the instructions. I bought mine in a box so it told me to boil a cup of water then put it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. While your bulgar is in the fridge cup up the parsley, red onion, tomatoes and cucumber. 
3. Add all the ingredients into the bulgar. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Put it in the refrigerator again before serving for at least 30 minutes. 

It was a fun picnic. We're had all the picnic necessities like paper plates, plastic utensils, and a towel but with all the amenities of an apartment such as air conditioning and Netflix. 

Bitchin' About: The College Dilemma

Yesterday, the powers-that-be missed an important deadline for college students across the nation. The government went home to their Fourth of July holiday -and with their hotdog eating recess - the interest rates on subsidized student loans DOUBLED from 3.4% to 6.8%.

Bear with me while we do the math here:  If I take out a 1,000$ loan I will accrue 380$ in interest in one year. That may not seem like a lot but most people take out more than 1,000 on subsidized student loans.

Via Slate

Also, you’re going for your Bachelor’s degree so you’ll take out four different loans of 1,000$ (and dear-god-let’s-hope-the-interest-rate-doesn't-increase-anymore) you’ll have 4,000$ to pay.



Via Slate

This means that after four years of only borrowing 1,000$ per year you’ll have a total loan payment of 5,523$. Your interest (1,523$) for ONE year will end up being more than one year of your original loan (1,000$).

That’s not all folks; you have to factor in the average college student graduates with 27,000$ of debt. That raise in interest would have a huge, detrimental effect on approximately seven million people in the United States.

This isn't even close to what 7 million people look like. Via

The Senate says that once they return from their BBQ-ing holiday they will go back to the interest rate of 3.4% until a better/new decision can be reached. However, this problem came up last year and they just deferred it for a year so we’ll see what happens when there isn't an election to win.

All of this is a problem in its own right but it seems that no one wants to take a different approach on the college dilemma.

Today, while on Reddit this article came up: We Must Hate our Children by Joan Walsh. 

The article was basically spot-on when it comes to the title. But it was the comments on Reddit that got me thinking. So here are some of the things, I have noticed from experience, that help contribute to the college dilemma. 

Disclaimer: I know that Reddit comments are NOT guaranteed fact or a representation of the world at large; however, I feel that people’s opinions and real life experiences help explain a lot when there aren't nearly enough journalistic articles on the topic.

THE COLLEGE DIEMMA

College Dilemma #1: The myth that college is for everyone.

College is not for everyone. There are plenty of people who would not only flourish but would like to work in trades. It seems that trade schools have become something of an afterthought or in my case never even mentioned as a viable post-high school option. I always got the impression that if you went to a trade school you weren't smart enough to attend a “real” college. Not only is that not true but it’s hurting many people who could benefit from such an experience. I believe that if people want to go to college they most definitely should and perhaps in a country where higher education is paid or not so costly this would be a good idea but seeing that the US has some of the highest tuition rates in the world it's not always a feasible option.

College Dilemma #2: College is being used as a substitute for on-the-job training.

There are many companies out there that will not offer an entry level position to someone without, at the very least, a bachelor’s degree (something along the lines of a Social Media Manager comes to mind). These jobs are not specifically hard nor do they need four years of higher education to learn but if you do not have that BA/BS box checked you will be overlooked. This is problematic in that instead of looking for the right person to do the job and spend company money teaching them their position they put the training and expectation on the employee. Many companies are unwilling to hire you while still in school and even less are willing to pay for your higher education classes. Instead, they force all of the financial burden on you, expect you to learn the position from theory and books, and still someone needs to be there to show you the ropes. You've wasted thousands of dollars and years trying to meet the minimum requirements for a position you could have easily done from the beginning.

College Dilemma #3: By telling EVERYONE to go to college - the job market is saturated.

Back when Baby Boomers were heading off to college it seemed that it was the best thing to do. A college degree was something that was going to set you apart from the stacks of resumes on the desk. Going to college told potential employers that you were: willing to further your education, you were devoted to the time and effort it took to get a degree; you are a hard-working, steady, resilient potential employee.

Now everyone has a degree. You have still furthered your education; you have gained knowledge. But when your resume is on the desk with all the other resumes that have also received a bachelor’s degree, what sets you apart?

The job market is saturated with lawyers, computer science majors, engineers who were told that the only way to get a job was to go to college and get a degree. Because of this there are not enough positions to fill relative to the number of people who are earning these degrees.

Some saturated job markets:

Nursing
Teaching
Lawyers
Pharmacy

Just to name a few.

College Dilemma #4: The over-saturated job market leads to horrible underpaid, useless, impractical internships.

I've already bitched about my loath for internships. I know that there are some good ones out there but with everyone vying for the same jobs with the same degrees they need something to separate them from the pack and that comes from experience which sometimes comes from internships. There are some people who feed off of that need and use what could be a wonderful, learning experience into a way to get free (illegal) labor. This article from the New York Times explains the legality of what internships are actually supposed to be.

College Dilemma #5: By telling EVERYONE to go to college, the demand for degrees increases the price of obtaining one.

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory: supply and demand. But here's an article for the sake of having an article. 

  

Via

College Dilemma #6: Colleges do not operate in the best interest of the student.

Here are some examples:

• Some classes do not transfer to other colleges.
• Some classes even if they have a corresponding class cannot be counted towards your degree because you must take that specific class at that specific college.
• They let apathetic work-study students look at, and give you, financial aid information.
• They have clueless, uncaring academic advisers.
• The core course curriculum changes every year.
• Job placement consists of using their computers to search Indeed.com on your own.
• They will tell you ANYTHING to get you to go to their school.
• Though they are admittedly getting better at offering night/weekend classes it is still very hard to go to school and have a full time job.

I know that I am not the only person who has gone to an academic adviser and been told that I was fully ready to graduate only to sign up for graduation and be denied due to a new class I just HAD to take. The ever-changing course curriculum sounds like a good idea in theory; always keeping up with the changing times, technology, and theories but now it’s just starting to seem that colleges are trying to keep you paying your ever-increasing tuition for a few more semesters.  

College Dilemma #7: You are expected, at the age of 18, to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life.

The average student changes majors anywhere from 3-5 times before actually settling on one and getting it. The NBC News article has some good points and some that I do not fully agree with. Yes, changing majors is costly that much is apparent but I do not think that is one of the easiest to fix. When students are being pressured from every direction to choose a degree that will provide them a successful job upon completion - one able to pay back those loans, one that will be able to buy them a house in the future, one to support the kids they have, and the retirement they might want…you’re looking at some heavy pressure. At the ripe, old age of 18 you are still a teen. You can vote but aren't adult enough to know how to handle your liquor. Your insurance is sky-high because you’re impulsive, reckless, and short-sighted.  This is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that you should go in knowing what you want to do with the rest of your life is laughable. What pisses me off even more is that they add the whole “Your major will not determine what career –path you choose.” WTF am I even doing getting a degree anyway? If my employers don’t care what kind of degree I have why haven’t they made the GTFO degree?

College Dilemma #8: Student loans are not actual loans.

Unlike every other loan, student loans are not actual loans. If you were to declare bankruptcy , you’d still have to pay your student loans.  Your student loans will haunt you for the rest of your life...literally if you default on them. Your loan collectors can call and collect on your student loans until they are paid. They can garnish your wages, take your income tax refund, collect your social security .

College Dilemma #9: The stigma of having a degree and yet still living with your parents, not having a car, not having a house & family, not having a suitable job and the shame you feel when people comment on these things.

I think this is something that articles cannot be  bothered to comment on but I think it one of the most important to mention. When you have so many people feeling that they are failing because they are  being asked “Why haven’t you done this?” and “Why haven’t you done that?” there has to be someone there saying “Stop asking those questions!  It’s none of your  damn business." When these students are suffering under mounds of debt and no potential employment - it is not their fault. Or at least not entirely. They should be asking YOU what you have done to help the future generation with their higher education problem.

There is absolutely nothing shameful about being in debt and not having what other people consider to be the “American Dream”. I've touched a bit on this whole  thing on the ME ME ME entry but I think it does need to be said again.  What once used to the American Dream is something that more and more people are having a hard time even imagining right now. Do not try to “have it all” at once.  Take some time to figure out what it is that needs to be done first and the best way for YOU to achieve it .

As a the holder of an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts I have some horror stories about my college experiences. I think for now I've given you enough to read however. Perhaps one day I'll write an entry about MY College Dilemma but for now feel free to leave comments stating your experiences, opinions, or your own horror stories.