random thoughts – Page 3 – The only certainty is bad grammar

Getting in the mood

Published: May 4, 2010 / Updated: May 5, 2010 Crystal feminism?, humor, im cool, medium, random thoughts

OMG guys, where the heck have I BEEN?

I’ll tell you where. Social City. That stupid Facebook game is like some sort of social media crack poured on my laptop each day. I obsessively check it as soon as I boot up and then, by the time I clean my factories, build a new car dealership and fire the lifeguard at the city pool, I’m all computerd out and then I don’t blog.

I’m sorry.

I’m joining a support group though. The people seem really nice and they keep saying that I can solve all this with something called Farmville.

Speaking of Facebook, can you people please like me?? I takes less than a second to click my shiny, new, state-of-the art “Like” button at the bottom of my posts and it would make me so very happy.

So please, for me?

Moving on.

It’s SUMMER! (Ish) (Today) (Weather subject to change tomorrow).

It’s finally nice outside and instead of trying to hide my purple finger nails because I’m oddly colder than everyone else around me (true story), I finally get to be the one at a normal temperature while everyone else sweats too much and my company waits to turn on the air conditioner.

YAY!

I’m so happy it’s summer that I wouldn’t even mind a little sunburn right now just to get in the mood.

Speaking of getting in the mood, dating life still sucks here folks.

I really like the 22-year-old, but he keeps being 22, so then I have to get mad because, for real, you can’t even make solid plans once buddy? Once?

Soooo, then I try to date other boys, but well, at the clubs all the cute ones are umm, 22 and that age doesn’t work so well for me. Then, I try to meet boys online, but that means I have to write all these e-mails and it’s so tedious and for all I know the guy on the other end is actually a 290-pound 12-year-old girl who lives in Alaska, so then I question whether it’s worth the effort and ya, I’m home alone tonight. The end.

I’m sure I just haven’t met him yet, as Michael Buble would say. But any day now would work for me God. Any. Day. Now.

In unrelated news, I think I’m going to dye my hair dark brown with honey highlights. This neon blonde is too hard to maintain, and it washes me out like I’m Tide unless I get a spray tan, which I think a lot of people think is weird.

I’m not 100 percent on the dark-brown thing, but assuming the stylist I eventually see when I eventually get money doesn’t think that will eventually make my hair fall out, I’m probably going to get aboard the brunette train for awhile. Do you think I’ll still have fun?

Serious question.

A win.

Published: April 8, 2010 / Updated: April 8, 2010 Crystal exercise, humor, im cool, medium, random thoughts

When the crap did it get cold again?

That’s kind of lame.

I was all ready to pack up my winter coat, and burn my mittens, and put a W in the spring-has-sprung column, but no. It’s below freezing and people are talking about the s word – IN APRIL.

Whatever.

Moving on.

I totally won my NCAA March Madness pool at work.

Out of 46 people!

I know nothing about basketball. I barely know how many players are on each team (It’s five right?). But I read this article in Slate and it told me to pick Duke and I did and I won!!!

Like a lot.

I haven’t gotten the money yet because apparently the pool organizer is in Florida (if he’s spending it, I will ~~kill him~~ be very mad), but when I do get the money, I’m going be so much richer.

Seriously.

WOOT-WOOT!

I’ve come close to winning these kinds of things in the past. Like in grad school, I got like second place out of like 40 people (and managed to anger some serious basketball fans). But close doesn’t count in these kinds of things.

Luckily this time was different.

I won it all. YAY!

So ya, also, umm, keeping off the weight is going to be something I struggle with every day of my life for the rest of my life and if I ever get pregnant or something I might have a panic attack from the stress of it all.

I literally weigh myself everyday.

Usually twice.

And if I gain even one pound, I re-access and work-out extra.

It’s been said that the only thing harder than losing weight is keeping it off, and I’m worried as crap that it will all come back in like a week.

The hardest thing is the constant choice I have to make to drink water. I still like soda, but it’s bascially hundreds of hidden little stupid calories in each one, so I have to keep on keeping on with the H2O. And I have to say, “Crystal, it’s OK. Your meal will be OK if you have a water instead of a soda. You will still like it.” to myself each and every time.

It’s only been about two months since I’ve gone from losing to maintaining, and each day that I don’t go over 145 I count as a win.

Today, so far, is a win.

Top 5 ways in which the recession isn’t total crap.

Published: March 1, 2010 / Updated: March 1, 2010 Crystal god, great america, humor, Johnny Depp, journalism, long, money, random thoughts, sh*tty things that happen to me

First, I need everyone to know that my deep-rooted hatred of the recession is very real. I hate it more than flossing, getting oil changes and paying my student loans, combined. I hate it more than Jay Leno, more than watching golf, and more than speeding tickets.

But. Well. See. Last night, I was watching Desperate Housewives while eating a piece of my $5 hot-and-ready pizza from Little Caesars, and I started to see some upsides. I figured I should write them down so I can read though it the next time I’m living for a week on Ramen Noodles.

5. Tons, and tons and tons of story ideas.

I’ve written about 7,493 stories for work that somehow related to the horrid economy. And my fellow reporters have done the same. Want to know how the recession effected napkin sales, or obesity, or both? We probably did a front-pager on all three.

With that many articles, it’s hard not end up with some really good stuff, like the series of vignettes I wrote about the unemployed, and the great articles about failing city developments and pieces on school districts cutting everything but math and water fountains. Really fun to dig into and share with the world.

4. Things are super cheap.

UMM, $5 for a hot-and-ready pizza. FIVE DOLLARS! That is just insane. Amazing. A whole freaking pizza for $5! AND, Six Flags season passes are on sale for $64.99. For a SEASON PASS! As in, it’s good for the WHOLE SEASON.

I can buy all my clothes on clearance for less than $8 at even the expensive places, like Gap. Cricket offers unlimited everything plus one for cell phones for $25 a month. Subway sells foot-long sandwiches for $5. Houses sell for $3 (ish). And GoogleVoice is FREE!!!

It’s great. I love it. I mean, sure, the prices are low because nobody has any money, but it’s still exciting.

3. My job is no longer my top priority.

When my whole life centered on my career, I had to be the best all the time everyday no matter what, because if I wasn’t then suddenly all the sacrifice wasn’t worth it. But then, the recession came and pummeled my industry. Suddenly, being the best didn’t even matter. There were no raises, no promotions, no job prospects. Being the best at my job turned into the equivalent of being the best at Facebook’s Farmville – nobody cared.

I still work hard, and I will never, ever reach a point where an article with my name on it isn’t the best it could be. But I don’t feel so bad about leaving, say, ON TIME, or saying “No” to an assignment.

And with that, comes a freedom to have a life.

2. I lost a ton of weight.

I had been trying to lose weight since the day before forever, but it was never at the top of my to-do list. The top half of that list included things such as: Find a new job. Move to where new job is. Repeat.

But then, the recession came and killed all the new jobs, so I had to go down to the second half of my list. And there it was. “Lose weight.”

Being in the same place, with a steady life and access to a steady stream of exercise and food choices did a lot to help me meet that goal. And I’m really happy I did.

1. I grew closer to God.

It is possible to have a strong relationship with God when you move to a new church every six to eight months, but it’s possible like me fitting into size 2 jeans is possible or the Cubs winning a World Series this year is possible.

My newfound steady living situation helped me to really get involved with my church on a level I never would have imagined when I was moving at both the beginning and end of every football season. I’m leading the youth group, attending fundraising events, and really connecting during praise and worship services.

And, well, when you have $4 to last the week, it’s hard NOT to turn to God for help. But, later, when money magically appears from some random source, it’s hard not to say thanks to the big man then too.

By using God as my crutch, he somehow turned into my friend. Seems like a little economic downturn is a small price to pay for all that.

Wouldn’t mind if the economy kicked into high gear anyday now though. Just sayin’.