I know I'm not the only citizen of the United States that feels this way, but I am completely jaded by the political system in this country. I have no idea what I'm going to do on November 4. This year seemed to be a year of promise politically. It seemed as if we would finally have an exciting, promising race between two candidates offering change. While there has been plenty of excitement, it seems almost as if I am watching a circus instead of deciding who will best run our country. I had really hoped that if anyone could break the normal process of slandering, namecalling, and dragging through the mud race we call politics, it would be Obama and McCain. I believed (naively, I guess) that this race would be run differently. Unfortunately, this race has been worse than normal, which has led to my jaded feeling. There are false accusations and lies coming from both sides (it started in the McCain camp, but Obama is responding to it also).
And it's not only with the presidential race that I am frustrated. Corruption and deceit goes all the way down to the county level (as I know is not surprising). But again, it's frustrating. It seems to me that elections are nothing more than digging up the tiniest, most meaningless piece of dirt on the opposing candidate spinning it, and splashing it from here to kingdom come for all to see what a mean, dirty, low-down person that candidate is. It's eye-opening actually. When it happens to people you know, you realize how much spin is really placed on facts to get the desired outcome. The person could be a complete saint, and people could still find dirt to spin. It leaves me with a hopeless feeling, actually.
My mom recently said to me, "If we cannot trust any of our news sources to provide us with accurate, fair information, who can we trust? Just ourselves?" Yes, I believe that's so. It's frustrating that it takes so much work to dig up truth, but it is worth it when we can decide for ourselves who will best represent our needs and desires in the government.
(FYI: I recently learned about factcheck.org. This site is a nonpartisan site dedicated to checking all of the facts (hence the name) in articles, ads, speeches, etc. etc. to ensure validity. If you need a place to go to get truth, check it out to get the facts.)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
My Husband
Since Chaz complained that in my last blog, I wrote more about student teaching than about him, I promised him that my next blog would be all about him. So here goes...
Chaz....is a crazy. Which is part of the reason I married him, of course! He makes life fun, and sometimes frustrating...but mostly fun. I enjoy driving him crazy (whoo whoo!), and he enjoys qualifying everything I complain about him. I love the adventures we stumble upon. Last weekend, we went to a barn party thrown by a bunch of hippies. It was amazing! There was food, food, food, dancing, and great live music. What a find! Then last night we went for a walk (which we haven't done very often) and discovered that Main Street was having a music wonderthon (my words)! In front of a bunch of stores on Main Street, a diverse variety of musicians were playing. One of my co-workers played the dulcimer, and it was incredible! There were classical violins, bluegrass bands, rock bands, folk bands, etc. etc.
We love to experience life, and I just hope we can do more of that instead of falling into a slump. It's also been a joy to struggle with money. The past month God has blessed us tenfold. We were really concerned about money because Chaz hadn't gotten paid since June, and his next payday was September. God brought us through it, however, and it almost seems as if money worries weren't a huge issue. He just got paid this morning, so we are incredibly thankful! I love that my man is pretty good with money. He's teaching me budgeting and fiscal responsibility (there's a $10 word for you!).
Besides the frustrations and worries that do occur (and will continue to occur for the rest of our lives together), I just think that it's wonderful to go to bed with the one I will love forever. And once we get an actual mattress (instead of sleeping on an air mattress, which we have for the past two months), hopefully our bed won't break. THAT would be a blessing.
And I know this is mushy...I'll redeem myself next blog.
Chaz....is a crazy. Which is part of the reason I married him, of course! He makes life fun, and sometimes frustrating...but mostly fun. I enjoy driving him crazy (whoo whoo!), and he enjoys qualifying everything I complain about him. I love the adventures we stumble upon. Last weekend, we went to a barn party thrown by a bunch of hippies. It was amazing! There was food, food, food, dancing, and great live music. What a find! Then last night we went for a walk (which we haven't done very often) and discovered that Main Street was having a music wonderthon (my words)! In front of a bunch of stores on Main Street, a diverse variety of musicians were playing. One of my co-workers played the dulcimer, and it was incredible! There were classical violins, bluegrass bands, rock bands, folk bands, etc. etc.
We love to experience life, and I just hope we can do more of that instead of falling into a slump. It's also been a joy to struggle with money. The past month God has blessed us tenfold. We were really concerned about money because Chaz hadn't gotten paid since June, and his next payday was September. God brought us through it, however, and it almost seems as if money worries weren't a huge issue. He just got paid this morning, so we are incredibly thankful! I love that my man is pretty good with money. He's teaching me budgeting and fiscal responsibility (there's a $10 word for you!).
Besides the frustrations and worries that do occur (and will continue to occur for the rest of our lives together), I just think that it's wonderful to go to bed with the one I will love forever. And once we get an actual mattress (instead of sleeping on an air mattress, which we have for the past two months), hopefully our bed won't break. THAT would be a blessing.
And I know this is mushy...I'll redeem myself next blog.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Updates
At the behest of Kel, I'll write an update...haha! I have such a double standard when it comes to this sort of thing because I'm always reading everyone else's blog and requesting updates, but I'm so horrible at doing the same thing. Mainly because I feel that my life is insignificant compared to the amazing things my friends are doing (Korea...helloooooo!). But I do have exciting things going on in my life: learning about married life, and student teaching.
Married life is great, but tough. It's waaaaaaaaaaay different living with a boy. Ugh. haha! No, but Chaz is good to live with. He helps a lot with keeping things clean and doing the dishes...which we do a lot of since we don't have a dishwasher. Now that we're both teaching, it's hard to be connected since we're so busy. We still try to take time for ourselves, though, and when we do, it's good.
Student teaching is phenomenal, but challenging. The students are amazing, and I know now more than ever that this is what I was made to do. Things will start to pick up work-wise, however, as I'll start to take over at least one of the classes. I'm a bit nervous as this means I'll have to plan things myself, but really excited by all of the possibilities open to me. Oh, and Kel, there are two Chinese girls in my classes, and they're incredibly adorable! I'm sure you know how much I love them! Yes, I love teaching, and each day I see the value in investing in the future generation. A lot of these students just need to know that someone does care about them, and that they can succeed as long as they try. I love watching them come out of their shells and learn to be honest and open with those around them. I only hope that I can instill some life lessons in them, if not the love of reading and the joy in self-expression through writing.
Married life is great, but tough. It's waaaaaaaaaaay different living with a boy. Ugh. haha! No, but Chaz is good to live with. He helps a lot with keeping things clean and doing the dishes...which we do a lot of since we don't have a dishwasher. Now that we're both teaching, it's hard to be connected since we're so busy. We still try to take time for ourselves, though, and when we do, it's good.
Student teaching is phenomenal, but challenging. The students are amazing, and I know now more than ever that this is what I was made to do. Things will start to pick up work-wise, however, as I'll start to take over at least one of the classes. I'm a bit nervous as this means I'll have to plan things myself, but really excited by all of the possibilities open to me. Oh, and Kel, there are two Chinese girls in my classes, and they're incredibly adorable! I'm sure you know how much I love them! Yes, I love teaching, and each day I see the value in investing in the future generation. A lot of these students just need to know that someone does care about them, and that they can succeed as long as they try. I love watching them come out of their shells and learn to be honest and open with those around them. I only hope that I can instill some life lessons in them, if not the love of reading and the joy in self-expression through writing.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Back Again
Chaz and I are back in Ames after three weeks of adventures. The end of our honeymoon consisted of visiting Andy and Ashley in Denver and staying a couple of days in Omaha with Papa Chuck. It was good to spend time with him, and I know he was glad to have visitors. We went to the Omaha Zoo, which was sweet, and enjoyed losing to Papa Chuck playing pool and eating amazing tenderloins. We spent Saturday walking around downtown Omaha and managed to find some good deals while shopping, and then headed back to Ames. It was good to get back and see everyone, and even better that we finally got to see Batman: Dark Knight. Incredible! I cannot describe how amazing I thought this movie was, especially Heath Ledger's performance, except to say that I would definitely definitely see it again and again.
So now it's back to the real world: bouncing between two different places, beginning to pack, finding a place to store stuff as well as ourselves until we can move into our apartment, and trying to relax a bit more until we begin school. Time to begin our life together.
So now it's back to the real world: bouncing between two different places, beginning to pack, finding a place to store stuff as well as ourselves until we can move into our apartment, and trying to relax a bit more until we begin school. Time to begin our life together.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I know the meaning of exhaustion...
Today Chaz and I decided to go on a hike in the mountains. We knew of a beautiful hike from Lake Brainard to Isabelle Lake that Dr. Thompson told us about. When we got to the park, we were unable to drive to Brainard Lake because it was full, so we ended up hiking 2 miles just to get to the beginning of the trail. We then started on the gorgeous 2 mile hike through the mountains. The surrounding nature was magnificent! We got to Lake Isabelle and decided to press on to hike up to Isabelle Glacier. This next section was 1.5 miles and was the toughest part of the day. We passed over snow in our Chacos, freezing streams from the glacier, and up perilous mountain slopes. The farther we got up, the harder it was to breathe. We pretty much made it to the glacier and got some amazing shots of the place we started. Both of us were exhausted on the hike back and didn't think we'd make it. When we got out of the trail, we knew there was no way we could hike back 2 miles to the car, so Chaz stuck out his thumb. The first car that passed us pulled over and gave us a ride back to our car, which we were so thankful for. Total mileage: 9 miles. Total time: 7 hours.
Back home: medicine to relieve headaches, a long shower, and huge burritos to satisfy our hunger. Then, falling soundly to sleep to await waking with incredibly sore muscles tomorrow. Oh joy.
Back home: medicine to relieve headaches, a long shower, and huge burritos to satisfy our hunger. Then, falling soundly to sleep to await waking with incredibly sore muscles tomorrow. Oh joy.
Friday, July 11, 2008
CO, what do you know?
Yup, we're in Colorado right now livin it up with Titus and Jolene. They have been gracious enough to host us as well as take us to all the sweet digs in the area. After seeing Wicked in Chicago (my dream of 2 years now), Chaz and I headed home to get the radiator changed on the car. We ended up staying there Sunday night and most of Monday waiting for it to get switched, and then when it finally was in the process, we found out the company had sent the wrong radiator. After some frustrating moments, we decided to put the old radiator back in and pray my car would make it the rest of the trip (HUGE thanks to Sam and Dad for helping us out on that one!). At 6 pm we started our trek to Chicago. We got stuck in a horrible storm and ended up stopping a few times to wait for it to lighten up. We also ended up sleeping for three hours in the car at Kearny, Nebraska at 2:30 in the morning. Finally, we made it to Denver at 10:00 their time. What a trip!
We've been having a great time here. We hung out with some of Titus and Jolene's friends Tuesday night, Titus has been making us great food, and Chaz got to fulfill his dream of eating at Chipotle. We also were fortunate enough to make it to Fort Collins and go on the New Belgium Brewery tour. Ahhh!! It was amazing! What a cool operation with a great philosophy: be stewards of the environment and the brewing industry, find peoples' loves and help them live them, and have fun! We also did the Anheuser-Busch Tour (stuffy). Today we did the Coors Tour in Golden, CO. We took the "short tour" and drank a Blue Moon for Katie. We also got to shop for antiques! Hooray! Needless to say, we're having a great time with more to come. We just ran into Andy McKinley on the streets of Denver, and now we're drinking absolutely phenomenal coffee in a coffee shop. Tomorrow I think we'll head to Dr. Thompson's cabin, which will be incredibly fun.
We are so thankful for the many blessings God has provided us on this trip, and we continue to be in awe of them: friends & family who provided funds for us to fulfill our dream vacation, friends and family who provide places to stay and food to eat, fellowship, beautiful scenery, and loads of adventures.
We've been having a great time here. We hung out with some of Titus and Jolene's friends Tuesday night, Titus has been making us great food, and Chaz got to fulfill his dream of eating at Chipotle. We also were fortunate enough to make it to Fort Collins and go on the New Belgium Brewery tour. Ahhh!! It was amazing! What a cool operation with a great philosophy: be stewards of the environment and the brewing industry, find peoples' loves and help them live them, and have fun! We also did the Anheuser-Busch Tour (stuffy). Today we did the Coors Tour in Golden, CO. We took the "short tour" and drank a Blue Moon for Katie. We also got to shop for antiques! Hooray! Needless to say, we're having a great time with more to come. We just ran into Andy McKinley on the streets of Denver, and now we're drinking absolutely phenomenal coffee in a coffee shop. Tomorrow I think we'll head to Dr. Thompson's cabin, which will be incredibly fun.
We are so thankful for the many blessings God has provided us on this trip, and we continue to be in awe of them: friends & family who provided funds for us to fulfill our dream vacation, friends and family who provide places to stay and food to eat, fellowship, beautiful scenery, and loads of adventures.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
the adventure continues...
well, everyone, i can honestly say i married quite the interesting man...adventure has continued to follow us on our trip. it started on wednesday. chaz had said we were going to american players theatre to see "a midsummer night's dream." i was so excited because i'm a shakespeare fan, and i absolutely love "a midsummer night's dream." the theatre was romantically set on a hill in the woods with lanterns lighting the path on the way to the outdoor theatre. it was magical...the perfect setting for the play. we got to the top, however, and the ticket man informed us that our tickets were for "a midsummer night's dream" yesterday. we had to trudge all the way down the hill, exchange our tickets, and ended up having to see "henry iv: making of a king." a good play, but definitely not as exciting or cute as "midsummer."
it doesn't stop there...thursday we left to go to chicago for our next leg. chaz had been in contact with my cousin to possibly stay with them. we were playing phone tag, however, and hadn't gotten a chance to confirm everything. we traveled to the windy city anyway, and once there, we finally got ahold of bridget. unfortunately, her and ben had left for wisconsin that morning and hadn't left a key because we hadn't been able to get ahold of each other. so there we sat...supposed to be in chicago until sunday, with no place to stay. we called a few hotels, but they seemed shady (one only allowed men, and another was $70 a week). after many tears, i finally said, "maybe we should just stay in the car." we were debating on whether or not to leave and find a place to eat when we got a call from another cousin, heather. she said bridg had told her our dilemma and she commanded we go to her place right then. it was perfect! we stayed with john and heather and baby adelia the past couple of nights, and it was great!
then yesterday, we hung out at taste of chicago downtown, saw a super long show (including old 97s and gomez), visited a three-story forever 21, rode the navy pier ferriswheel, and ate bbq. the best, however, was that chaz and i were walking around holding hands, and a young guy walked up to us and said, "you know what's really great? platonic relationships." we were kinda like, "yeah." then he said, "you know what else is great? stuff white people liked." we started laughing and said, "yeah! we love that blog!" to make a short story even shorter, we ended up winning a free copy of the "stuff white people like" book, and the guy we talked to was the author of the blog! it was AWESOME! and hilarious.
today we relocated to waukegan in an AMAZING suite in a ramada, and we're traveling downtown chicago to see wicked!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! i'm so excited! it's unbelievable! EEK!
the adventures will never cease...
it doesn't stop there...thursday we left to go to chicago for our next leg. chaz had been in contact with my cousin to possibly stay with them. we were playing phone tag, however, and hadn't gotten a chance to confirm everything. we traveled to the windy city anyway, and once there, we finally got ahold of bridget. unfortunately, her and ben had left for wisconsin that morning and hadn't left a key because we hadn't been able to get ahold of each other. so there we sat...supposed to be in chicago until sunday, with no place to stay. we called a few hotels, but they seemed shady (one only allowed men, and another was $70 a week). after many tears, i finally said, "maybe we should just stay in the car." we were debating on whether or not to leave and find a place to eat when we got a call from another cousin, heather. she said bridg had told her our dilemma and she commanded we go to her place right then. it was perfect! we stayed with john and heather and baby adelia the past couple of nights, and it was great!
then yesterday, we hung out at taste of chicago downtown, saw a super long show (including old 97s and gomez), visited a three-story forever 21, rode the navy pier ferriswheel, and ate bbq. the best, however, was that chaz and i were walking around holding hands, and a young guy walked up to us and said, "you know what's really great? platonic relationships." we were kinda like, "yeah." then he said, "you know what else is great? stuff white people liked." we started laughing and said, "yeah! we love that blog!" to make a short story even shorter, we ended up winning a free copy of the "stuff white people like" book, and the guy we talked to was the author of the blog! it was AWESOME! and hilarious.
today we relocated to waukegan in an AMAZING suite in a ramada, and we're traveling downtown chicago to see wicked!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! i'm so excited! it's unbelievable! EEK!
the adventures will never cease...
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
honeymooning
married life is amazing thus far, and i know it will only get better. chaz rented us a cabin in wisconsin, so we have been staying there since sunday. we're in spring valley, a nice little town near lots of fun places. we've gone to the house on the rock, saw wall*e, canoed for 10 miles on the wisconsin river, ate at small town restaurants, made our own breakfasts, and enjoyed paying $1 for five minutes in a shower...jerks. tonight we're going to an outdoor shakespearean theatre called the american players theatre. we're going to see "a midsummer night's dream," so i'm way stoked about that! apparently, this is why chaz chose this place...what a great man! tomorrow we head off to our next destination, which i think is either chicago or madison (but i think it's chicago). we'll be back in eastern iowa on sunday before heading west. i'll try to keep updated on the trip!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Life's Adventures
The purpose of this blog is for me to record the adventures I take in my everyday life. You see, in the book I'm reading for my pre-marital counseling, Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, it talks about the importance of attitude for creating a good life, as well as a good marriage. You can choose your own attitude everyday, and you don't have to succumb to the negative surroundings that bombard us nonstop: people getting everything they ever dreamed of while you struggle with finances, world happenings such as war, genocide, famine, etc., dealing with bad people at work, etc. etc. etc. Let's face it...we could live every day more miserable than the one before. However, by choosing to let things not bother you, living life not comparing it to someone else's, and giving everyday a chance to be a good one, we can significantly improve the quality of our life.
I know all of this sounds like a bunch of cliché, spoon-fed, motivational crap, but I'm starting to believe it's true. My life is taking on an adventure that will change it forever. Planning for this adventure has been trying, and I've wanted to throw in the towel and just elope more times than I can count. I've been miserable and not looking forward to the celebration, which made me incredibly sad. I didn't want to dread my wedding day, or be miserable the entire day when the most exciting thing was happening to me. So a couple of days ago, God revealed to me that I was the one making myself miserable. Yes, things were happening that were out of my control, but I was the one obsessing over them and making myself miserable. I was being selfish, and realized that this was an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family and that was why we were doing the ceremony and reception. Chaz and I could get married much easier by eloping, yes, but then we would miss out on celebrating with friends and family. As soon as I realized this, I swallowed that pride and called and apologized to my parents. They had been enjoying this entire process, but I had been a wet blanket at every moment, so that's what I apologized for. Ever since, I have been looking forward to this day more and more. I'm excited for the fellowship, fun, friends, and family. Things that don't go quite as planned don't bug me, and I'm actually having fun deciding what to do and what not to do. Most of all, I'm excited to embark on this exciting adventure with the love of my life. The one of my life. My help-meet. My friend, and the one who will remind me of God's love for me every day of my life.
And that exciting adventure is beginning sooner than I can even believe.
I know all of this sounds like a bunch of cliché, spoon-fed, motivational crap, but I'm starting to believe it's true. My life is taking on an adventure that will change it forever. Planning for this adventure has been trying, and I've wanted to throw in the towel and just elope more times than I can count. I've been miserable and not looking forward to the celebration, which made me incredibly sad. I didn't want to dread my wedding day, or be miserable the entire day when the most exciting thing was happening to me. So a couple of days ago, God revealed to me that I was the one making myself miserable. Yes, things were happening that were out of my control, but I was the one obsessing over them and making myself miserable. I was being selfish, and realized that this was an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family and that was why we were doing the ceremony and reception. Chaz and I could get married much easier by eloping, yes, but then we would miss out on celebrating with friends and family. As soon as I realized this, I swallowed that pride and called and apologized to my parents. They had been enjoying this entire process, but I had been a wet blanket at every moment, so that's what I apologized for. Ever since, I have been looking forward to this day more and more. I'm excited for the fellowship, fun, friends, and family. Things that don't go quite as planned don't bug me, and I'm actually having fun deciding what to do and what not to do. Most of all, I'm excited to embark on this exciting adventure with the love of my life. The one of my life. My help-meet. My friend, and the one who will remind me of God's love for me every day of my life.
And that exciting adventure is beginning sooner than I can even believe.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Speak to me
At my practicum yesterday, the students were buzzing about a speaker they had come in who talked about bullying. The thing they were most shocked about was that words truly hurt people. The speaker read a letter from a woman who is older who still remembers exact phrases people used to say to her in middle school. These were all told to get students thinking about how they affect people with what they say and do, and that those things can affect people in the future. My cooperating teacher shared that she remembered in the seventh grade a boy in her class (she was able to give his name) said she was fat. She still remembers that. But what she said was putting that aside, she was afraid to think about who she could have hurt with a slighting comment that she didn't even think about. Maybe she was that verbal abuser she remembered.
I have to agree that words do hurt. I definitely remember specific instances from my past when people have said things, probably not even thinking about them, that absolutely crushed me. My dad told me that I was annoying and no wonder I couldn't keep a boyfriend after a guy dumped me. In 10th grade, the guy I was dating at the time and one of my friends talked to each other about how I was annoying, and then they told me that. Yeah, I'm sure I was behaving stupidly at the time, but they talked about it behind my back, and then when I insisted, they told me to my face that I was annoying. To a girl who was going through major self-esteem issues at the time, this was world-shaking. And, crazy, I still remember it distinctly. Down to the place we were and the time of day.
But just like my cooperating teacher, I wonder how many times I have said things to people that hurt them, and I didn't even realize it. I know that my dad didn't truly mean what he said about me. Heck, I'm getting married, and he thinks that I am deserving of Chaz, and that Chaz is so deserving of me. And I'm sure my friend and boyfriend in high school didn't think I would take what they said so severely. But both of those instances were major barriers in my life. So when have I said things to people? What have I said? What pain have I caused people to go through. The first part of Ephesians 5:20 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." I know that I've hurt people in the past, and I know that I may not be able to do anything about that, but I really want to try to be conscious of what I say to people now.
I want to be uplifting with my speech.
I have to agree that words do hurt. I definitely remember specific instances from my past when people have said things, probably not even thinking about them, that absolutely crushed me. My dad told me that I was annoying and no wonder I couldn't keep a boyfriend after a guy dumped me. In 10th grade, the guy I was dating at the time and one of my friends talked to each other about how I was annoying, and then they told me that. Yeah, I'm sure I was behaving stupidly at the time, but they talked about it behind my back, and then when I insisted, they told me to my face that I was annoying. To a girl who was going through major self-esteem issues at the time, this was world-shaking. And, crazy, I still remember it distinctly. Down to the place we were and the time of day.
But just like my cooperating teacher, I wonder how many times I have said things to people that hurt them, and I didn't even realize it. I know that my dad didn't truly mean what he said about me. Heck, I'm getting married, and he thinks that I am deserving of Chaz, and that Chaz is so deserving of me. And I'm sure my friend and boyfriend in high school didn't think I would take what they said so severely. But both of those instances were major barriers in my life. So when have I said things to people? What have I said? What pain have I caused people to go through. The first part of Ephesians 5:20 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." I know that I've hurt people in the past, and I know that I may not be able to do anything about that, but I really want to try to be conscious of what I say to people now.
I want to be uplifting with my speech.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Things I love Tonight
Eating Asian cuisine with chopsticks while listening to instrumental music with my future husband. Cupping tiny teacups in my hands and bringing them to my mouth to sip hot, jasmine tea while closing my eyes letting the world erase and my senses fill with the warmth of tea and music. Memories of China and breakfasts and lunches and dinners. Potstickers and Lo Mein and Green Onion Pancakes. Iowa wine and Across the Universe. Sleeping peacefully until morning.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Fellowship
Fellowship is good for the heart. Last night was amazing! Being in a house with 11 people, most of which I had yet to meet, eating, laughing, storytelling was intimidating initially, but wonderful. This is a group of people with which I look forward to continued interaction. We put down guards and brought our stories to the table. Worship was grand and broke down shyness and embarrassment. Stories were shared from the heart, and we all didn't want to part. Chaz and I had to be the first to break it up due to work, but I feel like we could have stayed there all night chatting. I'm so thankful that this opportunity has arisen. It's just what I've been desiring.
Oh, and for you fellow tech-nerds that read my blog, here's a little something for you to enjoy. This is the most recent blog on David Poague's blog...oh man, it's hysterical! (check out his blog: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/)
March 6, 2008, 10:39 am
Tech Support Gets a Reprieve While Users Take a Hit
On my blog recently (nytimes.com/pogue), I’ve been making fun of bad tech-support reps. Actually, not just recently—they’ve been one of my favorite topics for years.
Deep inside, though, I have a lot of sympathy. By definition, the tech-support job entails talking all day to angry and unhappy people, which surely can’t make you feel like skipping home from work. Meanwhile, at most tech-support centers, you have to fulfill an hourly quota of calls processed—so the job is stressful, too. No wonder the burnout rate is so high (and so many of these jobs are moving overseas).
So today, equal time. It’s time to place half of the tech-support blame where it belongs: at the feet of Them. The Users.
Several years ago, I had the chance to visit a tech-support call center for one of the big computer companies. The technician gave me a second pair of headphones so I could listen in on his conversations with the hapless users.
I learned so much that day. I learned that all computer companies outsource tech support to dedicated call-center companies. I learned that the Users can be outrageously rude to these hapless tech-support reps, taking out their built-up frustration on somebody who had nothing to do with causing the problem.
And I learned that when they say, “Your call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes,” that’s only partly true. They also record your calls so they can pass around recordings of the funniest ones.
They actually gave me one of those “Best Of” disks at the end of my day in the call center. Herewith: a few actual calls from that disk or that I heard about from the agents themselves.
—
Caller: So, I’m having a problem with my mouse? It’s, like, squeaking?
Agent: I’m sorry, did you say squeaking?
Caller: That’s right. The faster I move it across the screen, the louder it squeaks.
Agent: I’m sorry—are you pressing your mouse up against the screen?
Caller: Well, sure! There’s a message that says, “Click here to continue!”
—-
Caller: Hey, can you help me? My computer has locked up, and no matter how many times I type eleven, it won’t unfreeze.
Agent: What do you mean, “type eleven?”
Caller: The message on my screen says, “Error Type 11!”
—
On one call, the caller seemed to be taking an inordinately long time to complete each instruction she was given.
Agent: Ma’am, I can’t help noticing that every time I give you an instruction, it takes a really long time before you get back to me. Is your computer that slow?
Caller: Oh, no, it’s just the stupid, stupid design of this computer. Every time I want to click something, I have to unplug the keyboard to plug in the mouse. And then every time I want to use the keyboard again, I have to unplug the mouse. Because there’s only one jack.
Agent: Ma’am, you do realize that there’s a jack on the keyboard itself? You’re supposed to plug the mouse into the keyboard, and the keyboard into the computer.
Caller: Are YOU KIDDING ME!? Oh, wait a minute—yes, I see it now! Oh, holy cow. That’s going to be so much easier!
Agent: Just out of curiosity, how long have you been using your computer that way?
Caller: Six weeks!
—
A Canadian customer was calling to find out if there was a faster way to trigger menu commands than mousing up to the menus.
Agent: Certainly, sir. There are keyboard shortcuts for many of those commands. For example, suppose you want to trigger the Select All command…
Caller: Yes, I use that one all the time! How do I do it?
Agent: Well, you just press Control-A.
Caller (after a pause): Well, that’s not working for me.
Agent: Do you have a text document open in front of you?
Caller: Yes, I sure do.
Agent: OK, now press Control-A.
Caller: I am, but nothing happens.
Agent: The text isn’t highlighted?
Caller: No, there’s no change at all.
Agent: That’s odd. If you press Control-A, the whole document should be highlighted. Try it again. Press Control-A. Tell me exactly what’s happening.
Caller (nearing his Canadian breaking point): Listen. I’m pressing Control, eh? And nothing’s happening, eh?
—-
So there you have it, folks: a little equal time for the downtrodden reps on the other end of the line.
Oh, and for you fellow tech-nerds that read my blog, here's a little something for you to enjoy. This is the most recent blog on David Poague's blog...oh man, it's hysterical! (check out his blog: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/)
March 6, 2008, 10:39 am
Tech Support Gets a Reprieve While Users Take a Hit
On my blog recently (nytimes.com/pogue), I’ve been making fun of bad tech-support reps. Actually, not just recently—they’ve been one of my favorite topics for years.
Deep inside, though, I have a lot of sympathy. By definition, the tech-support job entails talking all day to angry and unhappy people, which surely can’t make you feel like skipping home from work. Meanwhile, at most tech-support centers, you have to fulfill an hourly quota of calls processed—so the job is stressful, too. No wonder the burnout rate is so high (and so many of these jobs are moving overseas).
So today, equal time. It’s time to place half of the tech-support blame where it belongs: at the feet of Them. The Users.
Several years ago, I had the chance to visit a tech-support call center for one of the big computer companies. The technician gave me a second pair of headphones so I could listen in on his conversations with the hapless users.
I learned so much that day. I learned that all computer companies outsource tech support to dedicated call-center companies. I learned that the Users can be outrageously rude to these hapless tech-support reps, taking out their built-up frustration on somebody who had nothing to do with causing the problem.
And I learned that when they say, “Your call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes,” that’s only partly true. They also record your calls so they can pass around recordings of the funniest ones.
They actually gave me one of those “Best Of” disks at the end of my day in the call center. Herewith: a few actual calls from that disk or that I heard about from the agents themselves.
—
Caller: So, I’m having a problem with my mouse? It’s, like, squeaking?
Agent: I’m sorry, did you say squeaking?
Caller: That’s right. The faster I move it across the screen, the louder it squeaks.
Agent: I’m sorry—are you pressing your mouse up against the screen?
Caller: Well, sure! There’s a message that says, “Click here to continue!”
—-
Caller: Hey, can you help me? My computer has locked up, and no matter how many times I type eleven, it won’t unfreeze.
Agent: What do you mean, “type eleven?”
Caller: The message on my screen says, “Error Type 11!”
—
On one call, the caller seemed to be taking an inordinately long time to complete each instruction she was given.
Agent: Ma’am, I can’t help noticing that every time I give you an instruction, it takes a really long time before you get back to me. Is your computer that slow?
Caller: Oh, no, it’s just the stupid, stupid design of this computer. Every time I want to click something, I have to unplug the keyboard to plug in the mouse. And then every time I want to use the keyboard again, I have to unplug the mouse. Because there’s only one jack.
Agent: Ma’am, you do realize that there’s a jack on the keyboard itself? You’re supposed to plug the mouse into the keyboard, and the keyboard into the computer.
Caller: Are YOU KIDDING ME!? Oh, wait a minute—yes, I see it now! Oh, holy cow. That’s going to be so much easier!
Agent: Just out of curiosity, how long have you been using your computer that way?
Caller: Six weeks!
—
A Canadian customer was calling to find out if there was a faster way to trigger menu commands than mousing up to the menus.
Agent: Certainly, sir. There are keyboard shortcuts for many of those commands. For example, suppose you want to trigger the Select All command…
Caller: Yes, I use that one all the time! How do I do it?
Agent: Well, you just press Control-A.
Caller (after a pause): Well, that’s not working for me.
Agent: Do you have a text document open in front of you?
Caller: Yes, I sure do.
Agent: OK, now press Control-A.
Caller: I am, but nothing happens.
Agent: The text isn’t highlighted?
Caller: No, there’s no change at all.
Agent: That’s odd. If you press Control-A, the whole document should be highlighted. Try it again. Press Control-A. Tell me exactly what’s happening.
Caller (nearing his Canadian breaking point): Listen. I’m pressing Control, eh? And nothing’s happening, eh?
—-
So there you have it, folks: a little equal time for the downtrodden reps on the other end of the line.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
But I waaaaaant Oonnne!
I want a hedgehog.
Isn't he cuuuute?
But seriously, hedgehogs are adorable. My love for them goes back to elementary/middle school. Ms. Bredekamp had a hedgehog (I'm pretty sure Sonic was his name, but I'm probably mistaken). Anne and I went to her apartment a couple of times and got to play with him. Gosh, he was cute. I wanted one then, but my mom obviously turned that proposition down.
Then, last night, I got to see the second hedgehog of my life, and I was reminded of how cute they are. The little guy was all curled up in a stocking cap, trying to keep warm. He was pretty grumpy when we woke him up, but adorable all the same.
So, basically, I want a hedgehog. Not a dog. Not a cat. Not a fish. Not a bird. Not anything else....a hedgehog.
Pleeeeeaaaaaazzzzeee???
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Screw the System
I need a middle school placement.
But why?
I don't want to teach middle school. I all ready know this. And while yes, maybe someday I'll change my mind. Right now, I don't want to. I am choosing not to student teach in middle school, so why do I have to do a practicum in middle school? Everything would work out so much better if I could just do a practicum in the high school with the teacher who has all ready so graciously said, "YES! Yes, Kate! I want you to come and share with me the joy that is teaching!" Gah. So this is what I get for opening my mouth and speaking my desires. Why didn't I just sit idly by and let this university determine my fate as it always does? Then I wouldn't have to screw up the system as I apparently did by raising my hand and saying, "Uh, wait a minute....this doesn't work for me." I'm a burden. A hassle. That's exactly what this change has said to me. If people were more anonymous, then I wouldn't have a problem with this. But they aren't anonymous. I'm screwing up my classmates'semesters through this. Ugh.
A little melodramatic? Yes, I know. But it's Valentine's Day...I can do what I want.
But why?
I don't want to teach middle school. I all ready know this. And while yes, maybe someday I'll change my mind. Right now, I don't want to. I am choosing not to student teach in middle school, so why do I have to do a practicum in middle school? Everything would work out so much better if I could just do a practicum in the high school with the teacher who has all ready so graciously said, "YES! Yes, Kate! I want you to come and share with me the joy that is teaching!" Gah. So this is what I get for opening my mouth and speaking my desires. Why didn't I just sit idly by and let this university determine my fate as it always does? Then I wouldn't have to screw up the system as I apparently did by raising my hand and saying, "Uh, wait a minute....this doesn't work for me." I'm a burden. A hassle. That's exactly what this change has said to me. If people were more anonymous, then I wouldn't have a problem with this. But they aren't anonymous. I'm screwing up my classmates'semesters through this. Ugh.
A little melodramatic? Yes, I know. But it's Valentine's Day...I can do what I want.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hungers
Man, I feel like getting a flying burrito. Doesn't that sound excellent? I know exactly what I'd get too:
Garden Tortilla
Wild Rice
Black Beans
Beef
Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
Chipotle Salsa
Lettuce
Cilantro
Black Olives
Mmmmmm.....my mouth is watering and my tummy is rumbling.
p.s. this is not a hint to anyone.
p.p.s. or is it?
Garden Tortilla
Wild Rice
Black Beans
Beef
Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
Chipotle Salsa
Lettuce
Cilantro
Black Olives
Mmmmmm.....my mouth is watering and my tummy is rumbling.
p.s. this is not a hint to anyone.
p.p.s. or is it?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Grumbly Gus
I'm a Grumbly Gus. School sucks, people suck, period sucks. Gah! Why do I get in such a funk once a month? Thank you, nature.
Friday, January 18, 2008
My New Life
I have recently had some complaints that I have not blogged about the most recent news in my life. So, Anne, this one's for you.
December 24, 12:30 a.m. Chaz and I had just gotten back to my parents' house after Landers Family Christmas. We'd had a great time laughing, chatting, and playing games. Chaz and I lay on the couch dreaming of the future and acting like lovebirds at Christmastime. "Why don't you two go to bed so you can get up at a decent hour?" my dad grumbled. Instead of obeying, Chaz asks me to go on a walk with him like he had been trying to all weekend. We bundled up and headed out into the crisp, clean, Christmas Eve landscape. The nearly full moon shone brightly on the crystal landscape as we walked along the creek by my house. We talked about nature and Creation and the beauty of it all. We talked of our relationship and of how we made each other want to be better people. Love better, serve better, reflect God better. We walked hand in hand for awhile until reaching an old tree I had played around as a young girl. Here we stopped and used the trnk to shelter us from the wind. Chaz began to talk, "I like this place because here I can see the past, present, future here. In the past, you played here as a little girl, in the present, we're here together, and I want to see us together in the future as well." I merely shivered and agreed with him. He continued, "So Kate, on December 24th, I want to tell you something that I have never told any other girl. I love you." I began to cry, "I love you, too." You see, Chaz and I had never said that to each other. He always said that he only wanted to say that to his wife. At this point, Chaz went to get on his knee and slipped and fell on the ice. I'm talking face-first, flat on the ground. I helped him to his knee (metaphorical of our relationship? I don't know). He then pulled out a ring box, opened iit and asked that fateful question, "Kate, will you marry me?" "Yes!" I responded and we hugged and kissed and cried. Finally, very smoothly Chaz said, "Put this ring on, my hands are freezing!"
So that is the story of how my life is to change forever. On June 28, 2008, I am to bond forever with the love of my life. I'm his helpmeet, and he's my rescuer. I hope that we continue to adventure and live a life abundant.
December 24, 12:30 a.m. Chaz and I had just gotten back to my parents' house after Landers Family Christmas. We'd had a great time laughing, chatting, and playing games. Chaz and I lay on the couch dreaming of the future and acting like lovebirds at Christmastime. "Why don't you two go to bed so you can get up at a decent hour?" my dad grumbled. Instead of obeying, Chaz asks me to go on a walk with him like he had been trying to all weekend. We bundled up and headed out into the crisp, clean, Christmas Eve landscape. The nearly full moon shone brightly on the crystal landscape as we walked along the creek by my house. We talked about nature and Creation and the beauty of it all. We talked of our relationship and of how we made each other want to be better people. Love better, serve better, reflect God better. We walked hand in hand for awhile until reaching an old tree I had played around as a young girl. Here we stopped and used the trnk to shelter us from the wind. Chaz began to talk, "I like this place because here I can see the past, present, future here. In the past, you played here as a little girl, in the present, we're here together, and I want to see us together in the future as well." I merely shivered and agreed with him. He continued, "So Kate, on December 24th, I want to tell you something that I have never told any other girl. I love you." I began to cry, "I love you, too." You see, Chaz and I had never said that to each other. He always said that he only wanted to say that to his wife. At this point, Chaz went to get on his knee and slipped and fell on the ice. I'm talking face-first, flat on the ground. I helped him to his knee (metaphorical of our relationship? I don't know). He then pulled out a ring box, opened iit and asked that fateful question, "Kate, will you marry me?" "Yes!" I responded and we hugged and kissed and cried. Finally, very smoothly Chaz said, "Put this ring on, my hands are freezing!"
So that is the story of how my life is to change forever. On June 28, 2008, I am to bond forever with the love of my life. I'm his helpmeet, and he's my rescuer. I hope that we continue to adventure and live a life abundant.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
It's the Most Miserable Time of the Year...
Sooooo....Dead Week sucks. I've been exhausted, I have a headache, and I'm stressed. I don't have a lot of school work to do, which is nice, but I've just had a lot of other stuff going on that distracts me from the work I need to do.
Monday my car was towed, and that was bad enough. Once I got to the towing place, they revealed that my car was damaged. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't me, even though they blamed me. In fact, I'm very very sure it wasn't me. So now it's either I try to fight it and get compensation, or I spend money fixing my car on top of the ridiculous towing fee. Money that I don't have. Money that I needed for Christmas presents.
So now I am stuck gathering evidence and going through a process that I don't want to go through. This on top of the bit of school work I have left to do for the semester. Needless to say, I'm stressed, miserable, and tired. And unable to go anywhere with my car out of commission.
Where's the joy?
Monday my car was towed, and that was bad enough. Once I got to the towing place, they revealed that my car was damaged. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't me, even though they blamed me. In fact, I'm very very sure it wasn't me. So now it's either I try to fight it and get compensation, or I spend money fixing my car on top of the ridiculous towing fee. Money that I don't have. Money that I needed for Christmas presents.
So now I am stuck gathering evidence and going through a process that I don't want to go through. This on top of the bit of school work I have left to do for the semester. Needless to say, I'm stressed, miserable, and tired. And unable to go anywhere with my car out of commission.
Where's the joy?
Monday, November 26, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Birds and the Bees
I was watching Tyra today (ugh....daytime television is definitely lacking in quality. Why can't I just turn off the tv??). She had an interesting show, however. She had around 10 teenagers and their parents on to talk about sex. These young'ens all had sex at an incredibly young age. One girl was in 5th grade! According to my calculations, that means she was like 10 or 11 years old. Oh my. Her mom couldn't believe it! I was appalled too. The students had all sat down earlier and talked about issues with sex, as well as if their parents had talked to them, knew they had sex, or if they wanted to talk to their parents about sex. Most of them said their parents knew they had sex, but all of them said they wished they could talk to their parents about it. The parents responded with shock that their teenagers wanted to talk to them about sex, as well as shocked that they did not know much about sex (especially STDs). When talking about STDs, the students knew virtually NOTHING about them and how to contract them.
HELLOOOOOOO parents!!!! Who's going to talk about sex with your kids if you don't? Who do you WANT talking about sex with your kids if you don't? Do you expect schools to do this? Let me tell you from experience, they won't get all of the facts from most schools. Plus, students don't listen anyway. Do you want their friends telling them about sex? This isn't the most reliable source for your kids to get information. Do you want a boy/girl pressuring your kids to have sex and THAT'S how they learn? Parents, talk to your kids! Seeing this kind of show and hearing how parents are neglecting to talk with their kids about facts of life makes me cry! And we wonder why we have so many young boys and girls with STDs, young pregnancies, etc. etc.
So, I actually learned a lesson from Tyra today. Parents: talk to your kids.
I was intrigued by the show until they got to a portion where Tyra and a sex-ed professor started role playing as a father/daughter talking about what sex is. Theeeeen I had to change the channel. TMI, Tyra. TMI.
HELLOOOOOOO parents!!!! Who's going to talk about sex with your kids if you don't? Who do you WANT talking about sex with your kids if you don't? Do you expect schools to do this? Let me tell you from experience, they won't get all of the facts from most schools. Plus, students don't listen anyway. Do you want their friends telling them about sex? This isn't the most reliable source for your kids to get information. Do you want a boy/girl pressuring your kids to have sex and THAT'S how they learn? Parents, talk to your kids! Seeing this kind of show and hearing how parents are neglecting to talk with their kids about facts of life makes me cry! And we wonder why we have so many young boys and girls with STDs, young pregnancies, etc. etc.
So, I actually learned a lesson from Tyra today. Parents: talk to your kids.
I was intrigued by the show until they got to a portion where Tyra and a sex-ed professor started role playing as a father/daughter talking about what sex is. Theeeeen I had to change the channel. TMI, Tyra. TMI.
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