Things I Don't Like

Awhile a go I wrote a post on Things I Like to celebrate those random blessings in my life. Well, here's the yin to that yang...Things I don't like. In no particular order.

I don't like...

1. Heights
I don't particularly enjoy heights. My knees get shaky. My legs get weak. I think of the myriad shapes I'd make if I plunged to my death and splatted on the ground. Ew, gory.

But this doesn't explain why I liked rock and wall climbing in high school or why I harbor the desire to sky dive.

I suppose mostly I just enjoy a good challenge, and what are fears but simply challenges unmet?

I don't like...

2. Timidity
If you want to do something, go out and do it. If you don't like something about yourself or your life, get proactive to make improvements. And for goodness' sake, if you don't know where you're going do NOT stop in the middle of the highway to look at your map.

I don't like...

3. Sheryl Crow
I don't know why. It's one of life's great mysteries, because you would think a talented, guitar-playing, singer-songwriter would be right up my musical alley, but there's just something about her shouting melodies, I mean, singing that rubs me the wrong way.

I don't like...

4. Ignorance
Seems obvious, right? Wrong, at least, according to Newsweek. Now, I know there are tons of smart people out there, and even the smartest person can be dumb about some things, but I just wonder if terrorism is really the biggest threat to our nation.

I don't like...

5. Bugs
The number one reason why I don't like being single is because I don't have anyone at home to kill all the creepy crawlies for me. And that is why I'm single. You gotta have a better reason than that, no?

Things I Like

In this economy it's easy to get downtrodden and depressed, especially when looking for a job. Therefore, I've made it a habit to think of three things every morning that I like and/or that bless my life. It helps to remember that, while many of the good things in my life are things I've worked incredibly hard for, there are just as many good things in my life that are blessings for which I did nothing to deserve. Here are just a sampling of these latest likes - blessings, results of hard word, randomness, or otherwise.

I like...

1. Having a Job
Yes, I worked hard to get it. I worked incredibly hard to get a Master's degree, and then spent weeks searching for a job and pushing the boundaries of my creativity in doing so. But, ultimately, getting those interviews and then getting an offer after several interviews at several places is an elusive combination of hard work, persistence, and serendipity.

I like...

2. Tosh.0
This show is so highly inappropriate that I can't help but like it on some deep, barbaric level. I think the same part of me that leaves Sports Center on all day and calls The Big Lebowski a favorite film is the one that likes Tosh.0.

I like...

3. My Sandwiches Cut Into Triangles
They just taste better that way, no?


I like...

4. The Sound My Directional Signal Makes When it Clicks Off
I don't know why, but it's an oddly satisfying sound. Perhaps because it reminds me that I am still young enough to regularly use one while driving.

I like...

5. Cooking
Not only does chopping things with a large knife lower my stress level, but it also makes me believe that I'm contributing to the greater good. You know, taking care of my peeps..."my peeps" referring to whomever I'm cooking for at the moment. I'm also pretty good at it.

And there you have it. A short list of the latest things I like, in no particular order. Stay tuned for when I explore my dislikes...it's sure to be entertaining.

Social Media, Social Repetition, Social Apathy?

I'm going through a non-Internet phase in my life...in that I have no Internet. Why pay $50 a month just to provide myself with another distraction I don't need?

Not to mention being connected 24/7 has never sounded attractive to me - have people bother me all of the time? No way!

Lately this has extended to this blog (as if you haven't noticed) and Twitter.

Does anyone really care what I'm doing/thinking/saying?

Do I really want to keep writing in first person?

Am I growing out of my narcissism?

This is where I currently am with the blog. Mayhap I will envision a new direction for this little space of the Internets and become more regular about my posting. If you have any ideas, please, let me know. And don't say Metamucil; I realize the phrasing in that last sentence sounded a bit off.

And Twitter.

I've come to be a little cynical and suspicious of Twitter as of late. Is it really just people who know each other in real life carrying on a conversation? Do all of those @ replies really just represent a sham of what should be friends texting each other, and in no way are related to strangers networking, information sharing, or gaining/losing popularity?

I wonder sometimes.

Maybe I'm following the wrong people and my data is skewed.

Regardless, this is where I stand on the whole social media thing right now, at least for personal use. There's a cynical side of me that thinks it's all a repetition of what could be conducted via phone, text, or in-person, and there's an apathetic side of me that wonders, really, what am I bringing to the table with status updates and blog posts that tell everyone what they probably already know?

Soul Crushing

You know it's a bad sign when you don't even want to put forth the effort toward applying for a job because it's just too likely it's not going to work out.

I've hit a turning point in this job search.

Being a barista takes less effort.

Work/life balance, people. Work/life balance.

Fish Fry and a Flick is Back!

There's nothing that screams Wisconsin more than a Friday night fish fry. Pair that with delicious Point Special and food by Bartolotta's and you've got yourself a smashing success.

Such is the case of Fish Fry and a Flick, held outdoors on Milwaukee's lakefront right outside Discovery World.

This year, the event kicks off August 6th with The Hangover, which I am so excited to see as I haven't done so yet (I know, right?).

You can find out more about the upcoming schedule and the event here.

I hope to see you there - I'll for sure be there every week except for Darkside of Oz, because I went to that last year and it was pretty lame. The crowd got restless and really thinned out once they hit replay on Pink Floyd. Bygones.

Oh, and I'm still a bit sad that they no longer allow carry-ins, but you have to expect that from an outfit hoping to make a profit. But let's just hope the folks at Bartolotta's reign in their use of salt in the fish fry and fries, because if you're not gonna allow carry-ins then you must provide something I will eat (though I guess plenty of people seemed to like it). Bygones.

Vampires I Like More Than Twilight

Seeing as how the third installment in the Twilight series opens today, I thought it would be apropo to do a post on this very subject for which I couldn't really care less.

I don't get Twilight.

I understand that there are a bagillion fans who like the jailbait eye candy, and even a bagillion more who are age-appropriate for said eye candy.

But I don't understand what made this series so successful. Humdrum storyline. Overly dramatic, yet wooden characters. Bad writing. Wayne's World-esque Megahappy ending. Author who claims to know little about other successful supernatural series even though she's in the supernatural series business and competitive intelligence is key.

Yeah, I don't get it (though I do get that I'll likely get some hate mail from this post for being so anti-Twilight, oh the inhumanity).

But I do get the "Team" thing.

And so, with the help of my friends, I spent a few moments of my day coming up with a list of vampires I like more than Twilight. A few "teams" you can count me on, so to speak. In no particular order...

1. Team Eric Northman
Yeah, Ladies, I don't think I have to give you a reason why, right?

2. Team Dracula
I love myself some Bela Lugosi, but don't get me wrong. I'd take the inspiration, Vlad Tepes, over Bram Stoker's character any day.

3. Team Count Chocula
Pretty sure this one needs little explaining too. A vampire that makes a delicious chocolate cereal for me? I'm just hoping for a better marshmallow-to-oat ratio.

4. Team Count von Count
One! ah, ah, ah Two! ah, ah, ah, Three!...


Thus ends the short list of Vampires I Like More Than Twilight. Thank you for playing.

Please Note:
There are, of course, many more I could add to this list - namely Angel for his brooding ways, Spike for this maniacal ways, Harmony for her clueless ways, Pam because she's sassy, Jessica because she's hilarious, and Bill because of the way he says, "Sookie!" But I didn't want to list to get into a "which supernatural series is better" debate, and so I only put my favorite, Eric, in a top spot.

Acknowledgements:
And if you're wondering where I came up with all of these, well, it wasn't just me. Thanks to my very funny friends Rob and Maggie for the inspiration!

Summerfest Shenanigans

This blog would be remiss without a post on Summerfest, the World's Largest Music Festival and it just so happens that this author has a lot to say after her visit.

The night included Dan Rodriguez, Gavin DeGraw, and Skillet. Well, I didn't really "see" Gavin DeGraw as there were hundreds of teens obstructing the view. But my friend and I did sit at a picnic table far from the stage, eating Chipotle and listening to him play. You know, a little secret of live concerts...the music sounds way better from far away. Up close we could only hear drums and bass, but when we sat down far from the speakers, we could hear a better mix.

Another secret of live music is that smaller shows are always better than large shows unless fire is involved. Enter Dan Rodriguez and Skillet.

Rodriguez was a very entertaining singer/songwriter from Minneapolis who entertained the crowd with his acoustic covers of Single Ladies and Hey Ya. Part comedian, part guitar playing lothario, he really lives up to his mission statement, "make love and music," inviting audience members to become applicants for a make-out session on the SkyGlide whilst singing a song with no second verse.

Charmed.

While Rodriguez won over the intimate setting, Skillet lived it up on the CoolTV stage. By the by, can anyone tell me who used to sponsor that stage? It slipped my mind and is making me crazy...

Skillet's show was everything the 10 o'clock rock spot should be and then some. The "then some" being pyrotechnics. A long-time fan of the band, I was excited to see them live but did not expect to be blown out of my seat, er, standing position as it were. Not only were the folks on electric violin and cello raised and lowered on hydraulic lifts during the performance, a variety of shooting fireballs and giant spinning sparklers turned the concert into a pyromaniacs wet dream. Luckily, no permanent blazes ensued.

The eventful evening commenced with a potential t-shirt making business utilizing the following slogans all overheard and experienced at Milwaukee's greatest festival:

I Survived the Summerfest Bathrooms

I Want to Sex You Up Like a Chocolate-Covered Strawberry

A'hoy Matey (this would include a graphic of a swashbuckling concert crowd in eye patches, all high-fiving each other)

Oh, Milwaukee, your strange ways and even stranger people never fail to make my day.

Book Review: Columbine by Dave Cullen

Occasionally I like to post a book, movie, or music review for pieces I particularly enjoy...or hate with unrelenting passion. I kid. But truly, sometimes I come across something I so enjoy that I'd like to recommend it to you in the hopes that you enjoy it also.

It is with this spirit that I introduce you to a book I've recently finished: Columbine by Dave Cullen.

I'd have to describe the book as a sometimes fast-paced account of the years leading up to, and years following, the Columbine school tragedy.

I say "sometimes fast-paced" because other times it's a bit jumpy, moving between the scene of April 20th, and the past events of the planning stages or the investigation time line.

Meticulously researched, the account includes hundreds of hours of interviews weaved together in a disturbing, yet stirring narrative. Disturbing because, by this account, officials had many red flags leading up to April 20th that they failed to act upon, which may have derailed Harris and Klebold's plan, and stirring because the stories of the survivors move between heartbreaking and inspiring.

As I've mentioned, the book is a bit jumpy, dropping threads of pre-April 20th and then picking up with the narrative of the tragedy or snippets of post-April 20th, but I almost think it works better that way. After all, the book took me a month to read mainly because I could only handle it in small doses. The zig zag between story lines is effective in managing your sanity.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know what really happened, why they did it, and what happened to Littleton afterward. Warning: Not for the faint of heart.

Cream City Cuisine Has Arrived!

That's right folks, www.creamcitycuisine.com (@CCCuisine) is ready for your cooking pleasure.

Jess (@JPrim), Evan (@EvanOnline) and I (@MsQuarter) have been cooking together for over 8 years and it only now occurred to us that we should start a blog and share our recipes. After all, our retirement plan includes opening a restaurant together in Door County, WI, and why shouldn't we get started now on working out the kinks of the menu?

So I urge you to visit the website. We're specializing in dishes that make Wisconsin products the star. More often than not these star products are of the adult beverage variety, but every so often we will segue into cheese, meats, produce, and the like. We might even take a foray into cooking with regional or international adult beverages. You'll just have to follow us and find out.

Our blog not only includes recipes, but also product descriptions of the ingredients and utensils we cook with. Because what you cook is a result of the products you use - both edible and culinary.

So be sure to visit us at www.creamcitycuisine.com. If you've ever wished you ate like us, now you can!

Where has the etiquette gone? A Philosophical Soliloquy

Oh, we job seekers are a pathetic lot.

We try to keep up our spirits after 6 months of sending resumes out into the abyss.

We develop elaborate schemes to capture the attention of would-be employers.

We wait, wait, and wait some more for any scrap of indication whether we have been shucked to the side or chosen for that rarest of all modern day events: the job interview.

And we do all of this with rarely any contact from the thousands of potential employers we've reached out to, after having spent precious time crafting a cover letter and resume - no small feat.

Oh, sometimes we spy the unicorn - a generic mail-merged letter or email telling us we've failed. But even these mythical beings are fast becoming extinct.

Instead, we poor, defenseless job seekers are left in our very own purgatory of permanent suspense, never knowing what it is we did that landed us in this state.

We realize it is a buyer's market out there, that there are so many more of us than there are jobs for us to fill. And yet each resume we send out, each cover letter we carefully craft, we imagine ourselves in the position for which we are applying. We think maybe this time will the one that will end it all, this fruitless searching, forever waiting.

The silence fades our hope.

The lack of contact - even if that contact is a rejection - kills our optimism.

Because though the waiting may damage our armor, it is the lack of any response that lands the harshest blow.