USF Loan BS & CAD

Today was Customer Appreciation Day at my job and there were lots of goodies to give out and receive (just for being a wormie). From the SmartPot guy I got one BigBagBed Mini (a mini fabric raised bed that is the perfect size for my new garden. I'm thinking peppers in there along with some basil and... not sure what else), a bunch of different nutrient samples, a cool new bag made entirely from hemp from FoxFarm, a new shirt (that I can wear to work on Fridays to promote SmartPot), Panera bagels, and a few other souvenirs and growing supplies.

It was fairly busy-- not as buys as Black Friday was last year-- and I'm very happy to say I got the chance to help a lot of people. 

The day was paced alright for time, too. There were a few slow moments but there were always customers hanging around for raffles so it never felt dead. I was kept occupied with so many activities and questions that I did not think about the silly issues with USF Financial Aid until just a few moments before writing this. Apparently they made a mistake with how they allowed students to input their award acceptance amount so they require that everyone resubmit their IRS Tax Receipt to a specified website. Granted, this is an honest mistake that should not have happened because they get too much money to make mistakes with the money. However, they totally could have informed students of the issue sooner than the week before Fall semester begins. There is no way they let an issue with money pass without double checking. 

I'd like to end my post by saying "This would have never happened at Florida State." because there is such bittersweet meaning to it: I would not have the job at Worm's Way and I would not have acquired as much knowledge about plants or discovered Cupcake Cache if I had chosen FSU instead of USF.

Oops I Did It Again

This is becoming a normal thing: for me to miss a day and post two the next day to make up for it. At least I'm doing them.

Yesterday was fairly productive. I cleaned up the apartment a bit and tried to work on my assignment that's due tonight. Summer is going to be pooey as far as classes go-- it's only week two and an assignment is due, I need to watch the recorded lecture I missed last night, and I still have to buy my textbooks for my other class. Hopefully taking summer will actually be beneficial to my degree track. I really need to meet with my advisor to discuss my track and what I can do to make me more employable once I graduate. Working at Worms Way is good but it's not going to help me with jobs after college. I like my pay and the regular schedule but it sucks working weekends every weekend.

I think it'd be good to maybe just volunteer some this summer (probably better once my summer semester ends) and then start looking into summer internships for next summer. 

Well my break is almost over and I have to drive back. I hope everyone has a good Friday; ill post my post for today tonight. 

More Goals She Says?

Life is full of experiences and we run around a lot without mindfulness if we don't make at least broad goals. I think it's time for me to set some new goals. I've already told you all about the Race to Abs with Alex but I'm thinking more adult goals like setting up internships and stuff. I'm 22 now and grad school seems like it's a quarter of the way done. Heck, it seems like it's the last semester with how fast everyone gets on things here. I really need to become more firm on my major's focus. I'm in my first archiving class, Cataloging and Classifying Nonbook Materials, which is nice so far but the actually cataloging part may not be my thing. There's always the learning curb to start off with so if by the middle of the semester I'm not feeling cataloging more, then I think maybe I should look more into Reference Librarianship.
So, with everything going on and my indecision needing to be made into decision, and after seeing the progress of my wonderful sister Kaitlin on her blog, I will make a list of goals!
1) Make a list of internships/volunteer work opportunities and get the information.
2) Actually write down all the job postings in my field that I find interesting.
3) Make use of thumb tacks.
4) Make a new friend by the end of the semester. (I know this one sounds kind of cheesy but it'd be nice to make a new friend that I can spend time with during school-- just to cover the basic life necessities of girls: you know, nails, talk about boys, watch chick flicks, do yoga, give hugs and maybe even go to the gym together).
5) Drink more hot tea. (I used to drink it often but now the frequency has withered to about once every two weeks).
6) Be a better friend. (More texting and calling, more simple 'hellos' and 'i was thinking of you todays'. Everyone sees a little more sunshine when their friend sends a smile.)
7) Get back to nature. (I love to be outdoors and I've enjoyed hiking. It's time to get back to it and breathe in the gift of life all around me when separated from technology. There needs to be balance.)
8) Find out about how to do summer semester courses.

I just realized this is the second list I've made on my blog, the first being my guidelines for healthier living. I like lists, they help me keep my focus. I've read recently that lists can hinder our ability to be open to life but I think that's only when you take it to extreme and when you forget to take care of yourself. If you have no time to breathe, I think breathing should definitely be put at the top of the list. Use lists to guide your day but don't let it dictate it. If you've been out running errands all day and you still have to go pick up light bulbs, it can wait. Get the light bulbs tomorrow, move them over to another list because breathing can't be moved. It needs to happen for you to have a happy life. Everything else can wait for at least a moment.

Blog-ger-ri-fic-ness! & My Weekly Race 2 Abs Update

I'm really excited to share with all of you that there are two new wonderful blogger's out here on the internet! Two of my fellow 'noles have decided to record and share their goingons of their personal journeys. (Kaitlin: http://positivelyperplexing.blogspot.com/ and Brandi: http://becauseiwantachange.blogspot.com/ ).

As one has already discussed, first steps are tough and, while many steps after the first step are tough, too, I applaud them both for making a public commitment to their goals. Sometimes it takes all eyes and a bit of shove to get things going.








Speaking of public commitment, it's Thursday! Time for an update on how my Race 2 Abs is going. Last night I had an apple something donut from Dunkin Donuts and I can tell you that I won't be having one again for quite some time. Flavors are nice but it just doesn't seem worth it anymore. I crave for read food like fresh plums and garlic kale with steamed carrots. Commitment. Commitment. Commitment. I can do this; anyone can do this. It just requires you to read up on nutrition and healthy habits like saying no to Dunkin and yes to the power of Kale and a pot of tea.




Measurements as of now are:

39.75" shoulders
33.5" chest
29" under bust
9.5" biceps
26.75" waist
30" belly button
36" hips
37.75" butt
21.75" thighs
14" calves

I want to include my weight but unfortunately I do not currently have access to a scale. I'll have to rummage through Salvation Army or Good Will and pop some tags. If not, I'll find one at the USF Rec Center and add that into my weekly updates.
Workouts lately have mostly been on the elliptical (which I will be making a post about soon). I've had some great results in the past with this particular machine and it's a great way to bring me back the good habits I enforced last spring. In addition to this fascinating machine, I've also kept to my daily yoga routine and added sit-ups.Sit-ups seem to have a not-so great reputation with people and are more often than not replaced with the loatheful crunch (seriously, I hate crunches-- sit-ups cover a bigger area and don't give me a neck ache while I'm building my core strength). It's safe to say I much prefer old-fashioned sit-ups.
Aside from last night's donut, I have kept a hearty and veggie-ful diet. Lots of Kale. Alex even put Kale in the soup he made this past Sunday.
Things are going really good and truly think I have the one-up in this Race to Abs.

Hope you all have got this New Year going with mindfully, happy and healthy habits!
Namaste.

Sake House

When this arrives on your table, sizzling and steaming, all is quiet in the restaurant. While Sake House of Tampa has a lot of hit or miss rolls that are accompanied by mayo or cream cheese, this teriyaki wonder is one to come for. It's the Tofu teriyaki and it comes with the steamed white rice, miso soup, and ginger salad. The tofu falls apart like perfectly cooked fish and is cooked, skin and all, in the teriyaki. The dish has a delightful amount of mushrooms and a decent amount of broccoli but make sure to ask for extra veggies to get this much (as I did). Underneath all you see is a thorough layer of sliced onion, contributing significantly to the over-all flavor of this sweet and flavorful dish. Worried the rice won't be enough? Trust me; it is-- especially since the tofu you are given probably equals a whole package of tofu.

I mentioned that their rolls or hit or miss and, indeed, they are. When they are hits, the flavors are very similar-- probably due to their foundation of mayo and/or cream cheese. The Spicy Tuna is more like a tuna mash with spices in it than the nice strip of tuna and spice. The Baked Salmon Roll (cooked fish), however, is a nice savory surprise. The eel sauce and asparagus make this unique roll one to add to the list of ones you should try.

Over all, this restaurant is nice, and it's really close to campus (right across from Einstein Bros and MOSI). Lunch specials are good but not as good as Koizi, the endless sushi & habachi restaurant down Bruce B Downs in the Tampa Palms plaza. I think Sake House has the one up because of it's proximity to campus. At night time, the atmosphere is appropriate for an intimate night out but even during day time this would be the case because of the dim lighting in the main/front dining room. Service is OK but not the most welcoming. Both times I've been here, Alex and I have felt like a bother to the staff instead of a welcomed customer.
If you're looking for new places to try in Tampa, this would be a good place to add to your list but don't expect too much more than showiness. Some dishes are amazing while others lack significant difference and texture from others. If you're looking to get the most for your buck and you value quantity a bit more than quality, head on over to Koizi. Lunch special is $9.95 per person for as much as you want of anything on the menu. Sake House's lunch special is more around $8/95 for two rolls from a specified group.

Movin' On In

So we re finally here in Tampa! It's our first morning and we still have quite a bit of unpacking to do.  The best way to do it? One room at a time. If there's more than one set of arms to unpack, have one work on the bedroom so when you're tired you can pass out without having to push a bunch of boxes off the bed. Alex and I both tried working on the bedroom together but it works out better to let each person put their personal items and clothes away individually. I let him put his stuff in first since he had more boxes to go through and I was antsy to get the kitchen unpacked and setup. I can't wait to show you, guys! You may have to wait until tomorrow to see because I still gotta unpack my clothes and we need to setup the desk/computers/TV stuff. And get rid of boxes. And find screws to put up wall hangings (that may have to wait until our next trip to Walmart).

Speaking of Walmart, there is too high a number of crappy Walmarts... Seriously. Back in Tally, the one all the way up Monroe was small but at least it had the full grocery section and a decent size of everything else! This Walmart on Dale Malbry had a laughably small "produce section." I put quotes because I can't really call three of the black bin stands with hardly any produce a real section. Then there was so little of even boxed foods! Can you say cray? I thought they'd gotten rid of all the crappy Walmarts. I guess Tampa holds on to old things well. 

Anywho, I'm excited to be here and so far it's going well. Still on the job hunt and still hoping Alex gets the transfer with Regal.  Fingers crossed for the Disney Store. 

Here's a peek at the living box room. 

Hope you have a great Saturday. I look forward to sharing my new home with you. 

I Didn't Forget You

I realize it's  been a while since my last post and that's mostly due to trying to get my Avon going and getting everything setup for Tampa. Just when I think I'm done, there's something else that comes up. As for Avon, it's going fairly well. It'll be tough starting all over in Tampa; at least I'll be going out more and seeing more people so that should help pick up my business over there.

I never updated you on my running did I? Well, I did indeed go for a run the next morning.  I drank a glass of water and beat the rain. Unfortunately, I found little to no enjoyment in the activity. My poor wittle ankles and knees are not made for the pounding on cement. Happily, I'll have gym access in two weeks (holy cow, there's only 14 days until Tampa!) so I'll have wonderful cycling, yoga, and other fun classes to go to to get active and involved. Note to self: apply to the USF gym. 

I'm so excited that I'm getting anxious and nervous! 

Anyway, running is a no-- at least in the streets. I shall be a proper lady of modern day society and run on a tredmill that treats my joints gently. Maybe I'll find some non-paved trails for running-- there is a big park next to The Claw (USF's golf course). USF doesn't have fun names like FSU does... I'll have to find out more or make them up.

I hope I don't have as much trouble meeting people as I did at FSU. I didn't make friends really until Junior year when I joined my sorority DNZ. Then I didn't make any significant connections until Senior year. Yeah... nope. Not going to allow it to take so long-- I'm going to be aggressive with friendships! BE MY FRIEND! Please. :) And then I'll offer to make them some tea and lunch. No one ever took me up on that offer before... so definitely be more aggressive about getting them to spend time with me. Yes. 

As for the mostly veganism, it hasn't been going so great because of how tight money has been and the upsetting forgetfulness of my parents to buy more than onions, peppers, and potatoes. Like I've said before, I'll have an easier time when I'm in control of what goes into the fridge and pantry.

All that's left to get Tampa done, now, is pay for utility setup, pay for internet, pick up moving truck, find job, move in, and get settled. Oh, then I have a list for Tampa, too. It included meeting my department head, getting my USF ID (I gotta snatch up that gym access!), and decide on local grocery stores/ market places. The big ones left are the move and finding a job. I'm hoping for a position at the Disney Store in the International Mall but there's also a possibility of working at a sushi restaurant (yum!). 

Well, I think I'll let you go for now. My car has been finicky and giving her a bath usually makes her happier.

Have a great weekend!

Namaste.

This Little Corner

"Each of us feels some aspect of the world's suffering acutely. And we must pay attention. We must act. This little corner of the world is ours to transform. This little corner of the world is ours to save." -Stephen Cope

We have strength and we have the power of decision. Take control of the self and embrace the energy within.

I'm done with undergrad and I've been accepted to USF's library science program but now I'm worried about what I will love in the future... I'm worried that i won't be spending my time in a passionate manner. I love my yoga practice and I am advancing... I just don't ever want a job to take that time away. Working at the movie theater provides odd hours and my workouts have been suffering, and are practically nonexistent, because of it. I imagine there are many people who feel a rut when finishing school and haven't found a job other than an entry level one. 

I have to find ways to make time again and still do the things I love when in home. Change is truly necessary. No such thing as a forever routine if you're living your life. Even brushing your teeth doesn't happen at exactly the same time every day of your life.  

Happy Mothers Day, mother, nature, and universe.

Change Is Necessary In Order For Life To Be Possible

I haven't been as personal with my posts as I started out. And you've most likely noticed I haven't been as frequent either. Stress can control us if we allow it to and I've been fighting with the stress of so many changes that Im required to make decisions about. Change is good and necessary but it's scary when the next changes are what will determine the opportunities the future will hold.
The biggest stress I've been carrying is the decision of what to do now that I'm graduating from Undergrad. Many of you already know but I have applied to USF in the hopes of getting into their Library and Information Science Graduate program. I haven't heard back yet but my dilemma is more on where my passions lay. Yes Im positively delighted to engage with various forms of text. I love to catalogue and help preserve information while making it more available.
I'm no yoga expert but I love yoga, too. I've spoke of it before-- of the feeling one gets from the practice. I feel like I belong wherever I am in that moment when I'm doing yoga.
I've been told by some of you that I would be a good teacher. I have a lot to learn but, with so much encouragement, I've been considering it.
I want to advance my practice and I'd love to help others in discovering that special feeling yoga makes linger within you, but I have to consider the amount of debt I am in from Undergraduate alone. Being a university librarian or an archivist would be an interesting career. I think perhaps I need to continue on this path-- give Graduate school a real try. I just hope that the opportunity to advance my practice and become certified to teach yoga comes along.
Being both a librarian and a yoga instructor sounds do-able.
Now, I need to finish up this semester and wait to hear from USF. Then more decisions can be made.


Like water we must flow,
Earth we must adapt,
Fire we must be determined,
Air we must be free.