Have you seen this cat?

This provided my lunch break LOL moment. From Gigglesugar.

Writing Tips from Bloggers

Check this site out: The Adventurous Writer. It's a good resource for first time bloggers or writers. She also gives advice on writing books and much more. One of my writing tips that I learned at JMU was featured on her latest post.

Traveling through a Series of Tubes

On September 22, my daily commute will become more complicated, or so it seems. Instead of driving 30 miles to work and passing through a Bridge-Tunnel that terrifies drivers so badly that they slow to a staggering 15-20 MPH, I'll be sitting next to strangers for 20 minutes on the DC Metro system. I find it funny that many people say I'll have to get used to the DC traffic when, in actuality, I won't have to drive that often, and when I do, I will live far enough into suburbia that the traffic shouldn't (knock on wood) be that bad.

Here are illustrations, provided by Google Maps and the DC Metro Web site, of my commute: past and future.

Commute 1: Yorktown to Virginia Beach, VA. (Illustrated on left)

My Hell for 2 years. The distance isn't that bad, and the drive is quite lovely. However the company on the road of Hampton Roads can be horrific. My BFF has become Traffic 610AM, KNJR841, which tells me how long my drive will be. Yes, I know all the shortcuts/ traffic avoiders, but it doesn't help when all you want to do is get home in time to watch a good rerun of Reba. VDOT should really host a 101 course focusing on how to deal with underwater tunnels. They can title it "No, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel will not collapse on you, leading to your slow and painful death."

Commute 2: The Orange Line.

(Illustrated on right)

I am not sharing my stops, so don't try and stalk me. This commute should cost me $800 less a month than my Hampton Roads tunnel drive, according to some online calculations. Problems that may occur: smelly people sitting next to me, falling asleep and missing my stop, sleeping in and missing the train I need and/ or walking so much that I get down to a healthy weight (Explanation: My father, trying to woo me to stay, has taken to baking a cake a week. They're delicious, how can I say no?)

I understand that losing weight shouldn't be a problem, and it really isn't one. I'd LOVE to slim down, but for me, a healthy size 8 (translation: size 10), getting back to my original size of a 6 would cause my family to wonder if they should send me to rehab for an eating disorder.

And my answer? "Nooooo no no."

"What is that? Hey! I'm Tom Hanks!"

I'm watching Cast Away. I love this movie and I love Tom Hanks. The scene just passed where Hanks finally shouts at the spooky noises coming from the forrest in his best Tom Hanks voice:

"WHAT IS THAT??? HEY! Heyyyyyyy! HEY!"

It is so cute. SPOILER: If you haven't seen the movie, then go watch it you caveman! The noises in the woods are coconuts falling.

Once, boyfriend asked me who my favorite actor was and my first response was "Tom Hanks". He said that was an easy answer, but I stick by it. Maybe Hanks isn't my FAVORITE favorite, but he's up there. I can watch him all day long. One of my all time favorite movies is You've Got Mail!. I can practically recite the script. Forrest Gump is up there too, boyfriend and I actually got into a heated discussion at BDubs once about that film. If I remember correctly, I won the battle.

UPDATE: Last night, boyfriend and I had a debate about whether or not the choir in Sister Act 2 rehearsed all the rapping/ singing/ extra stuff they did in their final competition? I say "yes", they just didn't show us their rehearsals in the movie because that would spoil the surprise. He says "no" and that it's a bad case of movie improving that would be impossible in real life. Any thoughts? 

What 'Entry Level' Taught Me

This blog has been in draft mode for the past week. Here's my final:

Yesterday was my last day at my first job. This was my first 'real job' out of college, and I was able to put the skills I learned in class to use. It was great. Now, in the next two weeks, I will move away from my family and begin a new job. But everything I was taught is not lost on me, and I'd like to share with you all some things I learned at my Entry Level job.

1) Money isn't everything. It sure can help, though. If the opportunity is right, find ways to cut costs and save. This won't be your salary forever.

2) Show others respect. You'll get it back, I promise. It may take a while. It may take until the very last day you are at your job, but you'll get it back.

3) Volunteer for extra projects. You'll learn a load from the different people you meet. You may be busy, but you'll quickly get a knack for what you like most about your job... and also what you like least.

4) Your first boss will either be awesome or awful. Either way, they're still your boss. And, more often than not, they're your boss for a reason. I was fortunate enough to have a boss and team of coworkers that not only mentored me but were also exceptional at their job. Try to learn from them.

5) Make friends with your coworkers. I wouldn't have survived without the friends I made. Sometimes your job sucks. Sometimes you just want to leave. And having someone there to vent to can make all the difference. On the flip side, having someone there to jump up and down with when you do something great is a warm and tingly feeling.

6) Don't gossip. And don't allow others to gossip to you. I almost put this at Number One. I fell in and out of the gossip chains. I tried my best to refrain from gossip, but I love juicy stuff far too much to stop someone from sharing. Remember, though, if they share the juicy, they'll also share everything else. And some stuff you just don't want to know about. So be careful which doors you decide to open because they sometimes can't be closed. 

7) Take your lunch break. You won't get paid extra if you stay through lunch. Whether it's a 15 minute walk around your building, a 45 minute drive to Target or a one hour breather with your work BFF, it'll keep you sane.

8) Don't stay late everyday. But don't leave when the whistle blows either. This is your first job. You haven't mastered it yet so take the time you need- at home and at work.

9) Be truthful to your boss. If you're not receiving the training, development or mentorship you need then how will things get better if you stay quiet? This rule goes hand in hand with the saying "Stand up for yourself because if you don't, who will?"

10) Make the decision that is best for you. One day it will be time for you to leave. You may be overjoyed and you may be sad, but either way, most Entry Level jobs are just that: entry level. You enter your career there and aren't supposed to stay forever. Keep good contacts though, so if you ever try and return the interview process will be shorter.

AdRants Plug and Fourth Quarter Planning

A bobblehead just showed me that my unsubscribe experience, which left me feeling used, made a cameo on AdRants.

I haven't had a chance to read AdRants in the past few days due to my jam-packed schedule of "doing everything I can possibly do before my last day" so I'm glad my friend looked out for me. As of today, no significant traffic spike to my site but I'll keep monitoring.

So this bizzay schedule I referenced above includes the fourth quarter public relations strategy for a client. I recieved approval on the overall 2008 strategy in January, but I like to create new ideas and concepts centered around the client's needs for the next three months then add them into the approved components from the 08 plan.

Right now, the plan is focusing on traditional media relations, social media, promotional ideas and event planning. They're a hospitality group and we are fighting the recession so I don't want to box us into the same tactics we've been using for the past few years-- no matter how successful.

Sometimes you just need a fresh squeeze into the orange juice of life, ya know?

It feels like a Monday...

How do you know you need another day of the weekend? You look at the word "union" and think it's "onion" spelled wrong. Oye! As my officemate said: I need to "clear out the cob webs".

Speaking of onions, my father sent me this gem of an article from The Onion: Michael Phelps returns to SeaWorld.

Apparently, after his Disney World trip, he couldn't stay away from his "true calling" among aquatic legends like "Shamu". The article states that "one stunt called the 'Flying Medal' will begin with Phelps' 14 gold medals being suspended above the water... If Phelps is wearing all 14 medals at the end of the stunt the swimmer will be rewarded with a whole pizza and a pound of cooked enriched pasta."

In other news, Google Chrome launches today. It's about time they came up with a Google Broswer. Check out this introduction from Google itself. Pretty cool. I'm ancy to play with it!

And finally, because I love animals and stuff, I bring you the story of Christian the Lion below. It's been reported on by many outlets, but I wanted to share. To view a longer version, search YouTube and there are a few options. If you don't cry once while watching this you may want to pinch yourself to make sure you can still feel feelings.

**Note: My sister, Skelator, is the reason I found Christian the Lion, this sweet sweet animal.