for those like me...

You may be approaching middle age and yet still have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. You may have even read books like "What Color is Your Parachute" yet..hmmm...can't seem to conceptualize it.

(Enter light bulb )

Career Cruising
Username: bloomfield Password: bombers

Here's a website where you can answer a few questions about your likes and dislikes...then it populates a list of 40 occupations that match to you. From the 4 people whom I know did it, the list seems to match up pretty well to interests. Though, there were some crazy one-offs here and there. Like Look at my #8. When looking at my list I noticed occupations in the top 10 were mostly on point, appealing to my raw desire to change the world.

For those who are interested, here's the top 15 careers it pulled for me.

1. Child and Youth Worker

2. Career Counselor

3. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

4. Management Consultant

5. Principal

6. Art / Music Therapist

7. Adoption Counselor

8. Funeral Director

9. Addictions Counselor

10. Association Manager

11. Health Care Administrator

12. Clergy

13. Psychologist

14. Economic Development Officer

15. Massage Therapist


A big thank you to Kerry for the link

fall's rollin on in...

It's officially fall ya'll...and the weather is perfect. Not to hot. Not too cold with a nice breeze that just just makes me yearn for all my windows to be open. Living in the midwest truly makes you appreciate the distinct changes that each seasons brings. And right not I am loving the beautiful colors starting to erupt in the trees. Just witnessing their beauty seems to make my one hour commute to/from work a little more tolerable.

Just a few of the things making me smile lately:

~ Me & the boyfriend tearing down and installing new vinyl siding on the back side of my house this past weekend. It was a lot of hard work and I have tons of bruises and scrapes to show for it, but the outcome is so beautiful I want to cry! Slowly but surely, my money pit is becoming less of..well...a pit!

~ My family from California coming to Chicago on a surprise visit for my father's birthday tomorrow. I have to ask my abuelita how she liked the hat I knitted her.

~ Getting a call from an old college friend that I haven't talked to in at least four years out of the blue!

~ Drinking cup upon cup of Octavia's Organic Wild Blueberry White Tea. Oh my...it's just too good to drink with a frown!

~ Watching the new HEROS episode yesterday in HD. Every Monday night with be the official Heros night at my house.

~ Doing my statistics homework and actually conceptualizing what the hell I am doing.

~ Doing said homework in less than 2 hours!

~ Getting a well deserved raise right before my 29th birthday!

What's making you smile ?!!

back to life...

Yet another huge chunk of of time has passed since my last post. Alas, I have been busy trying to find myself and enjoying the last bits of summer as much as possible. Well, that, and the fact that I have been suffering from a supreme case of writers block. However, after browsing the archives of my beloved blog, an old and familiar spark emerged from within. Suddenly, I wanted to write. Reading so many things I wrote about and thought aloud about in years' past suddenly reminded me of the comfort of just letting it all out.

Part of me stayed away so long because I felt my live has become trivial...methodic...boring. AND, I refuse to be yet another blogger which writes about what she ate, what she watched on tv, and how life sucks. Despite bouts of depression and poverty over the last few months, life has been good. I have travelled a few times, been working out regularly, and slowly getting out of debt. However, just like my ever-shrinking audience, my world has wilted to the size of a pea. Confession: I have turned into a hermit. I don't know if it has been work, my relationship, my friends (or shall I say lack of friends that actually are there in thick and thin), or even my own self esteem holding me back, but truth is: I have enclosed myself from the world lately and have been scared to step back in. I felt gray inside. This, I decided this morning as I looked into the mirror, has got to change. I am too young to feel like I am dead inside.

So, I decided to chop all my hair off. It's kinda a symbolic new beginning of sorts. Out with the old, in with the new...loosing all past baggage..ya know what I mean. Actually, if I had the balls to shave it completely, I would. HAH! My boyfriend's going to freak! It's so dramatic of a change, the mutt might not even recognize me when I walk in the front door!

Talking about the boyfriend and the mutt, I FURTHER promise myself not to stay in the confines of my house knitting the night away, awaiting a call from the boyfriend saying he's on his way home, asking if there's food to eat, or even declaring that he's staying out later than usual. Even more, I will venture out to invitations of delightful outings, food, and dancing - solo if I have to, despite the fact the mutt will be all by himself yet again. I refuse to let life pass by while I sit on my couch wondering what could have been. Some of you may be thinking that I am saying all this as a sort of rebellion against my relationship. But that is not the case at all: I am not made at Mike, yet instead am mad at myself for letting my spark, my life, my smile...just slip away...if that makes any sense at all.

Anyway, it feels good to promise myself these things. It feels good to chop off my hair and to see my smile, which was just this morning hidden by layers of hair and self doubt. It feels good to do things just because I CAN...It feels good to remember I am young and not old, that I am beautiful inside and out and despite everything, that life is worth living fully and to be savored like prime rib. And damn, I am hungry..I am eager to once again taste it's nectar....

The Hemingway Challenge

Legend has it that Earnest Hemingway was once
challenged to write a story in only SIX WORDS.
The result was "For sale: baby shoes, never used."
(http://smithmag.net/sixwords/)

Here's an interesting and challenging activity. Try to compose YOUR story (the story of YOU) in EXACTLY six words (no more, no less). For some, this may be painful. (It's very hard to tell your whole story in six words.)

Dylan: Facing my Fears, Living my Dreams
Carin: Lives planned perfectly will imperfectly unfold.
Kayla: Fate lay in dreams yet realized.
Dre: Life's easy with your eyes shut.
Keigh: Appreciate mistakes for what they are!
EJ: Many pages turned, very little read.
Colby: A moment of clarity never rendered.
Moot: They've swollen, the size of softballs!
Herb: What sucks now will always suck.
Larry: I came, I saw, I drank.
King Iggy: Born to raise hell, then died.
Nicole: Life is full of little dissapointments.
Mike J: I wonder what else I forgot.
Mandy: The future starts today, not tomorrow.
Arie: Water is actually, with persuasion, flammable.
Kris: Live, love, dream, and be happy.
Jessica: All this work for one screw.
james: SALE: parachute, used once - small stain
Bagheera: I'm still learning how to breathe.
Brandice: Even teachers must never stop learning
Jason(PMIYT8,OTPD!) : Boobies shown, I died happy, yay
So Very...Kerry: I have taken, now I give.
Beau How did I pull this off?
Katiebug: Oh I'll think about that tomorrow.
Sam: I'm going to be a Daddy
Dina Marie: It's the story of my life.....
Dawn~ Taking one day at a time.......
Kim - Mother, wife, complete happily ever after
ileana: expect the unexpected; it WILL happen
Vicki: I live my life for me.
Paloma: Living the life of my dreams.
Michelle: Happiness is easier than I thought.
Shannon: Living though words that are written
pirate J: That bitch, she broke my heart.
pirate j: dumb funny, mother metaphorical fucker.
pirate j: I love life beyond any reason.
Miles - Arrived, tried to be happy, disappeared
SA: Born to live, live to die.
Handsome Duke: She lived with a virgin father
jami - subcutaneous structure served no purpose here
jesica - fuck jami, you cut my face
miranda - nevermind the blood in your sink
Xtine - Weak minded die at my feet.
doug- walked with many, seen so few
prissy miss chrissy - lather, rinse, repeat. (lather, rinse, repeat.)
prophetic jerk so able - Wages of sin: Hungover, dreadfully ill.
autumn-love like lightning, break like thunder.
abe- searching, and finding it in me.
phil - i'm the captain of my soul
rockie- was lost, but now am found.
Candice-Heart of Lion,Soul of Cub
Janet~ STRONG MINDED, weak hearted..getting better
philly phil - going out with bang like Hemingway
xochitl - My happily ever after is now.
ms. purity - I am a symphony of contradictions

if you're happy and you know it, shake your ass!

It's one of those rare moments in life where I feel everything is exactly like it should be. I take a look inward and realize life has been good to me.

~ In addition to doing weights and the elliptical machine, I have started jogging during my lunch break. I am averaging between 2 to 3 miles a day and when I'm not incredibly sore, I feel like I am on top of the world.

~ I am over half way done with knitting the baby blanket. Pictures are sure to come. I hope the baby enjoys it and on those chilly autumn days, is happily warmed in it.

~ I am enjoying the summer as much as possible. Last week alone I went to see the White Sox play and got free tickets to Cirque Shanghai.

~ Since school ended I have been spending much more quality time with the parents, Mike, and Taz. I have been taking naps during a lazy Sunday afternoons, long walks with the mutt, and spending hours at end knitting and reading my Harry Potter book.

~ My last vacation of the summer is in a month! I can't wait for my Miami trip with Rachel and the girls. Being the chica I am, you can be sure I'm going to search for some good Cuban food while I am down there.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer and that your life is equally content as as mine.

Peace n Love.

ode to our soldiers

Tears fall like rain for soldiers
Kept prisoner by a call to duty for lies
Holding the brunt of the war behind their eyes
Nightly fighting nightmares laced with sounds of baby cries
Nighmares that their friend has died...and died all over again

My heart cries out for these soldiers
Most are young, inexperienced, and
Have unwillingly became the martyr for their government
Who sacrificed their lives just to get ahead
And lead them astray amid gunfire
A government that will have forgotten them
Minutes after the blood and tears have been shed
Minutes after their Purple hearts of lead and muscles of fury used to bring forth
Democracy...
Democracy which has long set sail to prevail
to brainwash the meak
to break down their fleets and bring forth oil

These young soldiers did not enlist for this
Lives amiss
Even If they survive
will they ever truly mend?
Truth is many of their souls are lost
never to be found again
Sacrifice scars their blackened faces
Eyes fill with loss of life and destruction
Bullets and bombs torn through hearts leaves families in mourning
Sons and daughter taken without warning
Who would have known the consequences of swearing allegiance to the flag?
The consequences...of freedom?

destination: final paper

picture via flickr

Over the last 3 weeks I have spent over 70 hours researching for and writing my final paper, which I am happy to report that I am finishing the final touches on. At 23 pages long (not including references, title page, or appendixes), I have poured my heart and soul into it.

I always knew I had a passion for education. Always knew I wanted to make the world a better place...but this paper on public school funding released emotions I never knew I had. At times doing the research I was infuriated at the vast differences I found between the rich and poor, at times I wanted to cry because I saw myself, my family, and friends in so many of the stories and studies I read. I feel like a wool has been lifted off my eyes allowing me to conceptualize the inequalities in education...but in it's place...a weight has been placed on my chest. I feel helpless to change it...

If anyone is interested in reading my paper, just let me know. I will be happy to spread the knowledge to the masses.