Archive for April 2010
It’s the Final Countdown!
Posted on: April 26, 2010
I can’t wait to finish school! So much so that I drew the weeks left to finish my MBA on my work white board so I can strike them out as they pass.
It"s the Final Count Down!
Oh, and those are my coworkers and me doing a little dance of joy at the end 
ina
Love… ina Nutshelll
Posted on: April 26, 2010
I decided to create a new blog called Love… ina Nutshelll inspired by an article I read by John D Spooner on The Improper Bostonian last week. His article was about “writing” and how he’s frequently asked to provide feedback on aspiring writers’ work. His first request to every single one of them has been:
Today is Thursday, write 700 words on Love by Monday. It should be easy for you
… and he is yet to receive a single word in response.
I thought that was an interesting assignment, so I decided to take on Mr Spooner’s challenge, and really explore what it is that I have to say about Love.
I hope you enjoy these thoughts, whether you have found Love in your life, or are still searching for the One.
ina
bars
Posted on: April 24, 2010
Could somebody please explain to me the appeal of bars? They seem to be the destination of choice on Friday and Saturday night (and Thursdays, too). I went to one for Alicia Keys’s 30th birthday, and I could not escape getting elbowed and stepped on twice. I don’t drink, so I got no artificial pleasure to lean on. I don’t dance, so you didn’t find me in the center of the mob pit. I hate the noise and crowd.
I have enjoyed bars from time to time. Especially if I feel like letting loose. But are you telling me regular bar-goers feel like letting loose every week? Really?
Ok, let’s just accept the possibility that I’m just too uptight for this stuff… I’m just not in the mood to change at the moment… ok?
ina
The Greatest Quote of All Time
Posted on: April 22, 2010
From the movie Adaptation.
Do I have an original thought in my head? My bald head. Maybe if I were happier, my hair wouldn’t be falling out. Life is short. I need to make the most of it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I’m a walking cliché. I really need to go to the doctor and have my leg checked. There’s something wrong. A bump. The dentist called again. I’m way overdue. If I stop putting things off, I would be happier. All I do is sit on my fat ass. If my ass wasn’t fat I would be happier. I wouldn’t have to wear these shirts with the tails out all the time. Like that’s fooling anyone. Fat ass. I should start jogging again. Five miles a day. Really do it this time. Maybe rock climbing. I need to turn my life around. What do I need to do? I need to fall in love. I need to have a girlfriend. I need to read more, improve myself. What if I learned Russian or something? Or took up an instrument? I could speak Chinese. I’d be the screenwriter who speaks Chinese and plays the oboe. That would be cool. I should get my hair cut short. Stop trying to fool myself and everyone else into thinking I have a full head of hair. How pathetic is that? Just be real. Confident. Isn’t that what women are attracted to? Men don’t have to be attractive. But that’s not true. Especially these days. Almost as much pressure on men as there is on women these days. Why should I be made to feel I have to apologize for my existence? Maybe it’s my brain chemistry. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me. Bad chemistry. All my problems and anxiety can be reduced to a chemical imbalance or some kind of misfiring synapses. I need to get help for that. But I’ll still be ugly though. Nothing’s gonna change that.
ina
Guess who just got published!
Posted on: April 19, 2010
- In: Happy
- Leave a Comment
For my first post in an ACTUAL blog/news website, I thought I’d just get over the fear that is the hump of actually submitting something… anything! so I just wrote a cute and witty post based on something my mother always said about earthquakes: that’s just the earth “rearranging” itself. It’s cute when she says it, I hope it came out cute when I passed on her wisdom to hundreds (or tens?… or… a handful?) of readers
Mother Earth and Disastrous Wedgies
I do have to say that it feels strange to be “edited.” The original writing was not much different than what was actually published, but for someone like me, who regards rejection as the ultimate slap in the face, it unavoidably feels like every sentence that got changed was “rejected” somehow. I guess this will be good therapy for my writer ego. After all, I am doing this to learn how to improve my writing. Any personal growth that comes from this experience will be a nice bonus!
Oh, and as for my last name and clear picture now being out there in the open… well… I guess… I have to get over it.
Enjoy and stay tuned for more Oh, and COMMENT the heck out of the article! (not here, silly, on the dailygetup website! It shows them that you care )
ina
A Good Week
Posted on: April 19, 2010
I have decided to have a good week. A "good week" is defined as a week where I actually plan to be productive, go to bed at a decent time, and get up wicked early to do something before work. THAT, my friend, is a good week.
So far so good: I went to bed at 9:30pm, woke up before my 5am alarm, had breakfast while I watched a fast-forwarded ACMs (Taylor Swift didn’t win, but we still love her anyway), then showered and was "ready for work" at 6am. Then proceeded to spend the next hour folding laundry and watching the Celebrity Apprentice. I love that show, so sue me.
Now I’m on my way to work (7:30am), and I’ve already been up for 2.5hrs. Today I’ll catch up with work email and tasks (it’s been rolling over me lately), and go to the gym with the husband afterwards.
In all truthfulness, though, I feel like I’m suspended in time. Like my real life will not begin until I’m done with MBA classes in August. My mother said that if I’ve done this for 3 years, I should be able to handle 3 more months. Why does it feel like these months are crawling by?
ina
You know what you should be doing.
Posted on: April 17, 2010
Ever had those days when you know exactly what you should be doing, but all your body wants to do is stay in bed and play Civilization II? Ok, maybe you should insert whatever your body does to relax in that last part, and you got my meaning.
It is 10:25am on a Saturday, and I am still in bed. My husband woke up for long enough to grab his glasses and his laptop, and then fell asleep again (with the glasses on and the laptop on his chest). Me? I didn’t go back to sleep. There are so many things I should be doing instead. Let’s list them:
- Fold 2 tons of laundry
- Go to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy towels (we had to throw all our towels away after we used them to contain the flooding waters… on asbestos flooring)
- Write a paper for Negotiations class
- Write the journals I keep putting off for Negotiations class
- Write a paper for Management Practicum class
- Study for the Management Praticum final
- Clean up the house (looks like a bomb exploded in here)
- Get breakfast
So, what to do? what to do?
Procrastination is a funny thing. I am a rational being, and, as such, I know I will be happier if I get up and accomplish these things systematically. I will be done with them by the end of the day, and I will have a much happier Sunday; however, my fear of wasting my time is paralyzing.
If you look up “Procrastination” online, which I have done many MANY many times while at work, you will find that it’s the reaction to a certain fear: fear of success, fear of failure, etc. I diagnosed my procrastination as “fear of wasting time” back in 2005. In other words, I am afraid that doing one thing will prevent me from doing another, so I end up not doing anything.
Right now, I’m hungry enough to get out of bed and seek nourishment. I better go with that momentum and stop blogging. NOW.
ina
Get Up… every day
Posted on: April 16, 2010
One of the great things about blogging is the sense of community. It wasn’t until I started really blogging that I found out about all of these people out there who are writing about pretty much ANYTHING at any time of the day. They read and comment on one another’s posts. There are several places where you can find these interesting blogs, some of which are: 20 Something Bloggers, Blog Explosion, and simply by clicking on other bloggers’ blog rolls.
It was by the latter method that I found Katie’s blog. Katie is 25, lives in Oregon as a web developer, and writes the most “relatable” and consistent 20-something blog out there. Most recently, she wrote about not having enough confidence to really jump into more serious writing or design. I’ve felt that way too: being stuck with what you’re dealt and being too much of a chicken to do anything about it, but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about writing and having the courage to put yourself out there.
In her post she mentioned she wanted to submit her writings to a site called TheDailyGetup.com. I admit I had never heard of the site before, but after taking a good browsing, I noticed they were looking for new contributors. Instead of asking why they would want ME, a non-writer who has nothing to say but things that are in her head, I just asked “why not” and sent an email to the editor without giving it much more thought. I included links to some of my most popular posts, gave a little background, and boom, it was done. What did I have to lose?
Well, just a couple of hours later I got a message from the editor welcoming me to The Daily Get Up roster of contributors, and that he would email me over the weekend with login information to post on their site!
I am really happy right now. I love writing, and this is the kind of challenge I was looking for! I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Katie’s suggestion, of course. If you like my blog, you will LOVE Katie’s. Check it out here: Special Snowflakes and Other Myths.
Thanks for the inspiration, Katie.
ina
Girl Crushes
Posted on: April 15, 2010
Tonight my girlfriends and I were talking about girl crushes. No, not lesbian crushes. Just girl crushes.
I define a girl crush as a feeling of admiration towards another woman. The object of such admiration may be beautiful, generous, funny, driven or any other trait I wish I saw in myself.
My most recent girl crushes, going back to junior year of college, have been: Angelina Jolie, Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg), Jenna Fischer (The Office), and Taylor Swift.
What do I do when I have a girl crush? I find out everything there is online about them, watch every video, see every picture, read every blog or twitter entry made by them. It’s infatuation in full action.
At the time of the crush, I feel like I need to be around them and maybe their trait will rub off on me. If I ever got to meet Taylor Swift, I would want to know everything that goes through her mind. I’d want to know what makes her tick.
Girl crushes also happen in real life. Back in 2005 I saw a wonderful woman in my company who appeared to be leading a whole conference on her own. I went up to her and talked to her. I followed up and ended up working alongside her in organizing the same conference for the next 2 years. She was a true inspiration and I felt like I was a better person just for being around her.
Now, about my crush on Sarah Palin… that’s just 100% superficial The woman is just freakin’ gorgeous.
Do you have admiration crushes? Who are they on?
ina
Joined Tumblr
Posted on: April 15, 2010
I joined Tumblr. I don’t know why. It’s just another blogging tool, right? Can someone explain to me what makes it different?
http://inanutshelll.tumblr.com/
ina
My latest Civ2 game
Posted on: April 13, 2010
I want to pay attention. I really do. But there is something about sitting next to a phone listening to people talk about things I don’t care about that just turns me off. I get fidgety and nervous about upcoming meetings, and just get distracted. Writing my thoughts down is usually my first form of procrastination. Hence, a whole blog just for stuff in my head
I got just a handful of hours of sleep last night. You see, I started a Civ2 game this past Saturday (that is ALL I did on Saturday), and I’ve been staying up until 12 or 1am playing. Man, I love that game.
Civilization II
The year is 1873. The Zulus and I (Inazca of the Aztecs) have launched space ships and they are scheduled to land in Alpha Centauri in 1874. I have never run into this scenario before where my spaceship arrival date is the same as another civilization’s. So I don’t know who would win! So Brian, a non-Civ player, suggested that I obliterate the Zulu civilization and see if that destroys their space ship. I had 10 years to pull this off (he suggested it back in 1863), so I switched every city from making (Capitalization) to making a fighter plane or a mechanized infantry and headed for Zulu soil, and used my 5,000 gold to buy some immediately. I do run a Democracy, but the Zulus declared war on me (without provocation), so I took the opportunity to destroy them.
My problem: There is 1 year left to go (my current turn), and, even though I think I could capture all of their continental cities, I have no hope for capturing their islandic cities. There isn’t a transporter in close enough range to transport ground units on the island, and, as you may know, air units cannot occupy enemy cities even after it has destroyed all of their defenses. So I think I am going to lose. The turn isn’t over yet, but I just can’t think of a way to make it work.
I could go back to a previously saved version of the game, but it was a LOT of work to change all of my cities to produce a military unit. It took me a good 15 minutes to do it because I must have like 100 cities. Then the air units can only move so many steps each turn (so they can’t really attack in the first turn they are available), and the ground units are not guaranteed to make it to Zulu land (even over railroads) because the Russian cities are in between, and I’m not at war with them, and it’s difficult to get around their city radius and units’ space of control.
I think this game has run its course. It was a good game. May the best space ship conquer the next galaxy.
ina
A new blog? Coming Soon!
Posted on: April 12, 2010
I’m thinking of starting a new blog that will focus on my current hometown, Norwood, MA, inspired by several factors: my desire to learn more about my town, my desire to write real pieces, and my fascination with my friend Christine’s career path. Hi Christine! Yes, you’ve inspired me to "try on" journalism. It’s just so different from anything I’ve ever done that it truly fascinates me. I might be going to you for some advice on leads, how to approach subjects for interviews, etc.
The truth is that there is a repressed writer in me. When I was in 5th grade I decided I would go to college to study Literature (didn’t happen). I had been writing stories for years, and I had a very inspiring Literature teacher (who was also my home room teacher). She was tall, slender and had this 80′s Joan Jett haircut that nobody thought twice about back then. She was always nice to me when others weren’t, and it made me want to be like her. One day, a year or so later, I wrote a story and brought it to her classroom for her valuable feedback, but she wasn’t there. She was gone. I never knew where she went or why she wouldn’t say goodbye. But I still remember her fondly.
My inner-writer has been trying to come out for a few years now. I got a typewriter in 2005 because I used to think that writers only wrote in typewriters. Man, how many christmasses went by without Santa bringing me the one gift I wanted. I kept thinking of great endings to stories with no plot, but never really sat down and wrote them (my typewriter is collecting dust in my attic).
Then last year I started blogging when a story idea came to me (and I was on a 3-week break from school), so I started writing fiction. When school started back up I got busy and lost my inspiration.
Now I just use this blog to let my thoughts out. No commitment, no deadlines, no storyline to stick to. Just thoughts. It’s nice and relaxing, but not challenging in a serious-writer kind of way. I make no effort to put together organized sentences or paragraphs… or even follow grammatical laws. Yeah, my mind’s a mess 
Wow, that was the tangent of the century! In short: when I’m done with school in August I’ll start a new I ♥ Norwood blog I’m so excited! Stay tuned for more!
ina
Capture It, Remember It
Posted on: April 12, 2010
Taylor Swift
I know I probably just completely confused you, so let me clear that question on your mind: No, I’m not a 15-year old girl still living at home blasting Taylor’s music and crushing over boys. I am a 28-year old home-owner who blasts Taylor’s music while her husband is in the other room with his headphones on.
My crush on Taylor started through country music. I have been listening to country stations pretty exclusively since the first time I had to commute (2002). Taylor captivated me in two ways: she was 16 when she first came out, and she wrote every single one of her songs. She stood out as a real artist in my eyes. At the moment she started to come through I had been hooked on Carrie Underwood, who was nice to listen to and challenging to sing along to, but her songs did not speak to me. All of the sudden in comes Taylor with her songs about boy crushes and she took me back to my school days. I bought her CD (which is something I normally DO NOT do) when she had only release two singles so far, and had won zero awards. I like to think of myself as the first one to discover her in a 30 mile radius (remember that I live in Massachusetts… not the most country-friendly state).
I’ve seen Taylor grow up and become a real, generous, funny and just genuine artist with the savvy and initiative to not only write her own songs, but also design and direct her own shows When you see a show or hear a song, that it ALL Taylor, not some label executive experiment, and that’s something that I respect tremendously.
Taylor just became the very first female country artist to fill up Gillette Stadium, thanks to me, in part I’ll be there on June 5th cheering her on. I can’t wait
ina
Old Friends, New Friendships
Posted on: April 11, 2010
I just had the nicest day with my new old friend Os. This post is about old friends who come back into your life after a period of separation and spark brand new friendships the most wonderful and unexpected way.
This may have happened to you at one point or another, but it happens to me often enough to merit writing an entry about it. My first roommate in college and I rekindled our sister-like friendship after 6 years or not being in touch at all. A friend from Germany, whom I met in a high-school prep course 12 years ago, visited Boston and looked me up to hook back up. And now, Os, a friend from my Venezuelan high school, is in town (and moving to Boston in August!) and looked me up to hang out.
These situations do not just happen randomly; they require several factors to be present. For instance:
- Identification of an opportunity to reconnect: somebody has to have a reason to make first contact. They may be in the neighborhood, or they need your help, etc.
- Having left things on a good note: not having a wall of bitterness to get through always helps
- Someone’s initiative: one of you has to make first contact, put yourself on the line ready for rejection, and take whatever comes. This is hard to do!
- A certain outgoingness from party A: if the someone who identified the opportunity is shy or introverted, it might be easier for them to not make contact at all. This is why the right personality is crucial.
- A certain outgoingness from party B: if the person being reached out to is shy or an introvert, they may be embarrassed by not having kept in touch for so long, or they may be too nervous to revive old feelings, or they just don’t want to outwardly reject anyone, and therefore might not respond at all. So, the outgoing personality trait must go both ways.
I’d like to think that I have done my part by always trying to say Yes when I’m sought after, and to actively seek people out if the opportunity presents itself. It has been rewarding every single time and I encourage anyone out there to reach out or say Yes.
It’s just a great feeling to make new friends… even if you were friends already
ina
I did it!
Posted on: April 9, 2010
I chained myself to my office today after work to buckle down and write the paper(s). The first part took me 30min, the second part 2 hours, and the last part 1.5 hours. It is 10:30pm and I’m getting on the train home. I did it!
My reward: go to Friendly’s for a late dinner… and maybe some chocolate cake?…………… Shut up! I deserve this!
ina
I hate this class
Posted on: April 9, 2010
Have I mentioned ENOUGH already that I can’t wait to be done with school?
We have a paper due next week, and I TOTALLY don’t want to do it. I also have to study for the final, which is the first week of May, and I admit to skipping a lot of readings throughout the semester.
I talked to my sister, Monica Geller, who is a school teacher, and she said it is outrageous that I have no way of knowing how I’m doing on the course because there has been no grade whatsoever. I’ll basically find how how I did on each grading criteria when I get my final grade online when the course is done. She thinks this is not fair, and I should go talk to her to see how I am doing. I think she’s right. I’ll be there for her office hours on Tuesday.
I hate this class with a passion. I want it to be over, and I need to get a B or higher in order to pass. I don’t want to have to take it again!!!
This lack of control is freaking me out
ina
My house says “it’s going to be OK”
Posted on: April 8, 2010
- In: Happy
- Leave a Comment
As I was walking out of my house to the train this morning, I was surprised to see a beautiful flower growing at the edge of my front yard. I took it as a love letter from my house to her new owners, saying that things might be tough right now, but they are going to be OK.
It's going to be OK
ina
No Stupid Questions? Yeah, right
Posted on: April 8, 2010
Whatever happened to "there are no stupid questions"?
Last night in class we were talking about the general performance of companies depending on their business strategy. Considering that each strategy being discussed was vastly different from one another, and the companies being analyzed could be of varying types and sizes, I thought to myself "they can’t be measuring performance based on profits.. they must be measuring based on some relative ratio for it to be a fair comparison," so I raised my hand and asked the teacher to define "performance" and whether it was by profit margin. She made a face like I had just asked her what class was I sitting in. She answered "profitability" which still didn’t answer my question, and made me feel like I was the dumbest person in the room.
To add insult to injury, she has the audacity to email me today a 5-paragraph email asking me what was the "source" of my question, because it was clear throughout the semester and all the readings that performance is measured by profits.
So I guess there are stupid questions after all.
I replied explaining to her that it was not fair to measure such vastly different companies and strategies based on an absolute value of revenue minus costs, and it made more sense to measure in relative terms.
I am still waiting for her answer to my original question.
ina
I’ll be happy when…
Posted on: April 8, 2010
I could write a whole list of things that could finish that sentence. The biggest one is "I’ll be happy when I’m done with school" (11 weeks of class left, but who’s counting?)
You probably know what I’m going to say already: we should live in the present, we should appreciate our life for what it is NOW and stop waiting for something else to happen. Sigh, I just wish I could take my own advice.
My life is currently in auto-pilot. I go to work, I go to school, I procrastinate from doing homework, attempt to cook, attempt to go to the gym, but ultimately I am exhausted all the time, and I’m waiting for something to change, such as, for my MBA to be done with.
Eh, screw ideal attitudes. I’ll be happy when I finish school FOREVER!
ina
Cupcakes
Posted on: April 7, 2010
I’m having a stupid day. Had to stay home from work to get quotes for Asbestos removal in our basement. The problem is that I am not cut out for working from home. I get bored and distracted easily, and end up eating a billion cupcakes.
Stupid cupcakes. They lure me in with their deliciousness. I hate you cupcakes.
ina
This, I believe.
Posted on: April 6, 2010
Disclaimer: I wrote this entry as a way to pour my heart out to cyberspace. It may sound naive at times, and it may ignore the fact that religion as well as politics have a constant power struggle that is bigger than all of us down here. But I still wanted to say that religion is something pure to me, and so so personal and beautiful.
With the Catholic Church under the microscope recently, I feel the need to put my thoughts out into the world. I have so many things to say, I guess I’ll just tackle them point by point.
First, let’s talk about the scandal and get it out of the way:
Child molestation charges
What those priests have done is despicable. It’s not only a crime, but it has destroyed those kids lives forever. I can’t even imagine the horror they and their families must be going through. This topic angers every person out there, Catholic and non, and it’s a BIG freaking deal.
Pope resignation requests
Should the Pope resign over this? I have heard two stories that are not necessarily mutually exclusive: that the Pope did not respond to requests for action from US church authorities to do something about the problem a couple decades ago, and that the Pope was one of the leaders in establishing a more stringent and vigilent community from the inside, without resorting to the media to publicize what was going on (which is now criticized). I don’t know the details of any of these stories. I can only have faith that his apology was heartfelt, that he recognizes this is a problem, and that he will give it priority in our lifetime for resolution. I don’t think that a resignation would help the situation, but strong action on the Pope’s part would.
Priest celibacy vow in question
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard a friend of mine say is “They should let priests marry, so they don’t have to relieve their urges on children.” I cannot tell you what an ignorant and off-base comment that is. If any human being has difficulty sticking to a celibacy lifestyle, they will find a way to cheat (wouldn’t be the first or the last time), but they do NOT all of the sudden turn into child molestors for “lack of women” in their lives. That is just incredibly ridiculous. To prove the point, I’ll ask the question out there: men who have difficulty getting girls and think they will probably never find a loving woman, are you now looking into children because they are easier targets? The answer is a resounding NO. IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. Pedophiles are sick individuals who are into children from the start. It was NOT a choice rooted in lack of options. These people are truly SICK. Allowing priests to marry should not be a solution to the child molestation problem. It might be a modernization alternative to look into, but do not be fooled by thinking this makes any strides into solving the child molestation issue. In fact, I’d venture to say that the priesthood has been a safe haven for child molestors and therefore it attracts pedophiles into it. It is probably the most pedophile-friendly profession out there. It’s very sad, but it’s a definite possibility. Something has got to be done to bring sanctity back into the priesthood and shoo away molestors.
Now, let’s talk about the religion itself
Sorry if some of these thoughts sound a bit unrelated an detached from one another… I just have a lot of things in my head that want to come out:
The Catholic religion is under fire. This won’t be the first or the last time, and it is by no means the ONLY religion that gets criticized.
The first thing critics will do is say “the [whatever] religion must change their stance on…” – here’s where I say Not So Fast. Changing a religion to accomodate the times or the latest scandal is a mistake.
It is no secret that every Catholic has their own interpretation of the religion, and their own way to live out in their day to day. Many are on birth control, many have pre-marital sex, many have extra-marital relations, many support abortion, many never go to church, or do other similar things that are considered against-Catholic beliefs. Some of the church’s core beliefs may not seem to tie with pop culture, but people will continue to live out their lives the best way their conscience allows them to. That’s the beauty of our community: nobody is “holier than thou,” and everybody assumes everyone else is sinning. In Catholicism, we are all sinners by default, and you will not find a clique in a church that kicks out other Catholics for sinning (how hypocritical would that be?). Sure, there are certain exceptions (like not allowing a certain senator to take communion because he supported abortion — how ridiculous was that?), but for the most part it’s a pretty accepting religion. In churches I have been a member of, there have been support groups (internal communities) for gay individuals and for divorcees. The church “laws” may be against certain actions, but, as a community, the concensus is acceptance and avoid judgment. Again, there may be stupid exceptions out there, but this has been my experience and it’s what I love about my religion in particular.
Like I said, we are all different and live our Catholicism in different ways. We are all not cut from the same stone, and being Catholic does not mean believing in every single thing the Church puts out there. The key point to remember here is that Catholicism is a religion with a set of beliefs, just like all the others. Trying to change the core beliefs of a religion to fit the times is like trying to get someone to change their sexual orientation: it is simply not even something someone would have a choice over. Beliefs are exactly that: things you BELIEVE. Nobody can tell you you can’t believe on something anymore. So, for people to come and say “Catholics have gone too far and must change whatever” is as outrageous as expecting Jewish people to start believing in Jesus. Demanding a change in beliefs is just not a solution.
At the same time, there is a difference between changing beliefs and evolving.
I do call myself Catholic, and, although I do have some disagreements with my church around certain issues, I do firmly believe in the items written in our “Creed.” Everything else has been added and interpreted from the Bible at some point or another, and some things are just no longer current, and (in my opinion) should be revised; not because they are hot topics, or because there is a scandal around them and we are in fire-fighting mode, but because we Catholics have a single defining trait, and that is LOVE. Anything that goes against this one important trait, must be revised (in my opinion). Just because the core beliefs stay the same (such as what’s written in the creed), does not mean that the church is not allowed to evolve in other aspects. To illustrate, it’s the difference between believing Jesus was born of Virgin Mary (faithful belief), and condemning the thought that the world is round (sign of the times).
If you really want to understand what the Catholic religion is about (FOR ME), think of it as a permanent focus on what would Jesus tell us to do? He’d tell us to not turn others away, to not reject others, to not judge others. I am not perfect, and I don’t follow these teachings to the letter: I’m a sinner, and I will be one every day of my life, and that is ok, because we learn from our mistakes and sinning keeps our conscience actively teaching us what is right from wrong. In any case, those are the messages Jesus left us. Jesus never said “gays are an abomination,” or “priests should be celibate.” Those were not things Jesus ever made a statement about. Jesus focused on loving others just as you love yourself. And that is what Catholicism means to me. Everything else is secondary.
These are my thoughts on my religion. I find it sad that critics delight themselves in throwing the first stone. Do they deserve to be put on a pedestal? I don’t think so. But I guess this is part of that power struggle I mentioned earlier.
In conclusion, child molestation is wrong and something has got to be done about this. The church should work in tandum with local authorities in this matter, without turning it into a witch hunt (which would be a slippery slope) with the purpose of saving the sanctity of priesthood and restoring the faith of the community in its religious leaders.
We all need a little bit of faith, and just remember why we love our religion in the first place: God’s love for us, our love for others, unconditional compassion, and forgiveness. That is all you need to know.
ina
Better Day?
Posted on: April 6, 2010
I am feeling a tiny bit better today. Brian and I went to the gym last night, and I met my goal: 15 minutes straight of jogging!!! (3 incline, 4.5 MPH) To give you a reference point, I used to run out of air at 2 minutes, before I joined the gym. Next goal: 20 minutes! I do need something to listen to, though. I’ve found that I don’t reach my full potential because I get bored and feel the need to change it up by stopping/slowing down. Need to find funny podcasts or something…
Today I have meetings all morning starting at 8:30am, then have an "event" at the cafeteria where I’ll be manning a table for my association. Then a little break, and a couple more meetings before having to leave early to make it to school at 6pm.
Oops, that reminds me that I haven’t been doing my homework for this class. Drat. I should get on that.
Alright, here’s to a better day for all. Good luck everyone.
ina
I’m gonna have to ice skate home…
Posted on: April 5, 2010
- In: Happy
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… because hell just froze over. You will never guess where I am or what I’m doing. Ok, I’ll tell you: I am at the gym waiting for Brian to come out of the treadmills.
He finished his guided training session at 7:50pm. I went looking for him at around 8. I found him on a treadmill and he had been walking for almost 7 minutes. So I quietly left the room and decided to catch up on some blog reading out in the lobby
The sad part is that he’s probably just waiting for me to come looking for him, but I cannot in good conscience interrupt the only exercise he’s gotten since we stopped doing yoga together over a year ago. I figure the only outcome is that he’ll get tired and come out looking for me.
(he just came out – 30 min later!) I like him so much He hates me right now, though
ina
Random Thoughts
Posted on: April 5, 2010
This entry was all-day in the making from the train in to the train out:
- I don’t want to be at work today
- I’m really thinking of going to work at Steve’s company
- I wish one person in particular wanted to be my friend as much as I want to be hers
- Apparently we could get Radon issues after the sump pump gets installed
- Tina Fey does not like the "wet" look of my hair when I put products in, and my husband thinks my hair smells like Cheerios. I should try different products.
- We’re going to the gym today for the first time
- I’m afraid of failure
- I’m afraid of wasting my time
- I saw New Moon this weekend. Nothing compares to the emotional attachment that the books give you.
- I’m looking forward to another Florida weekend with girls in June
- I found out that my gift certificate to the Lime Light is good for 2 years
- I’m hungry
- I can’t wait to be done with school. Just 4 more months.
- I love my husband
- I don’t like the cement smell in my basement
- I like the nice weather we’re having this week
- My stupid phone (3rd of its kind I’ve had) burnt out its little CAPS and FN lights, so now I can’t tell when I got CAPS on
- I enjoyed talking to Brian’s grandmother last night about the names of her ancestors. Maybe one day I’ll draw out our family tree.
- I love the song "Affirmation" by Savage Garden
- I hate it when I wax under my arms and end up wearing a long sleeve shirt. What a waste.
- I like the location of my workplace. Copley rocks.
- I think Duck Tours are funny
- I think it SUCKS that Jesse James cheated on Sandra Bullock.
- I had too much chocolate this Easter weekend
- My English muffins are Buy-One-Get-One-Free! Bonus!
- This post is keeping me sane and helping me take it one step a a time
- I love the sun. I can’t wait till it’s warm enough to have lunch at the Christian Science Plaza by the fountain
- I miss my niece and nephew (Monica Geller’s kids)
- I hate phonies
- I hate the smell of coffee
- I miss my parents (who now live in Texas)
- Can I cancel all my meetings for today and just stare at the wall all day? Maybe it would be easier to take a mental sickness day
- I need to wash my hands… often
- Dang it! I forgot to bring my food from home today!
- I hate people who say "No" when they don’t understand, rather than asking more questions to reach a solution.
- I hate people who don’t care enough, and in the process end up screwing others over
- Wishing I could take a nap right about now
- I’m a little bored.
- When I’m done with school I’m going to sign up for Ancestry.com and figure out my husband’s family tree!
- When I’m done with school I’d like to think that I’ll sign up for lessons to learn an instrument… but I probably won’t
- I think I do like my job I wish I was a little more motivated to do it today.
- I have this fear of running into old boyfriends whenever I am outside in the city.
- Angie is back from her trip! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
- Christine got a perm! The madness is spreading
- I love my curls
- I thought I missed my stop for a split second
- I didn’t
Now off to the gym with my love. I didn’t hear from him all day. I hope he’s doing alright.
ina
I’m just good at what I do
Posted on: April 2, 2010
Have you ever wondered what your calling in life is? I have. I can’t say I have found it yet, but I can share with you those moments when I get a definite clue Like today, for example:
I managed to speed up the decision process of setting the direction in a project by at least a week or two, simply by picking up the phone and talking one-on-one with the decision makers about what felt the best approach was. I got everybody’s perspectives, and then let them all know what the others were thinking, so they are now all magically on the same page, and all we need is a meeting to consolidate our thoughts.
This was one of the highlights of my week. It just showed me what a long way I can go by building alliances rather than animosity with my coworkers. Not that they all hate me, but I don’t seem to do much about it when they do, other than hating them right back.
Anyways, I’m just good at getting things done. That’s just what I do.
ina
- In: Not Happy
- 5 Comments
Previous post about Basement Technologies
The people from Basement Technologies (aka Busy Dog) stood us up for the pump installation again yesterday. This time they had even called on Monday to CONFIRM the appointment, and they still didn’t show.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There is no "Fool me thrice" version of that verse and I don’t want to find out what it is, so we have decided to take our business elsewhere. Now we get to fight with them to get our 30% deposit back.
It all worked out for the best, though. After all, we were acting out of immediate desperation and they were going to charge us an arm and a leg for the pump installation job, plus filling in some cracks. So we will pass on them, and actually shop around and get more quotes. I’m sure we can do at least 30% better than the original price.
Epilogue (9/2/2010): I didn’t trust the sales guy farther than I could throw him anyway. He kept saying my asbestos tile would not be a problem, when in fact I knew that the jackhammers would release asbestos particles to the air, which are toxic. Also, their technology is a GIMMICK: their pipe is SQUARE shaped, which they say works better than others, but really, the corners of the pipe accumulate dirt, which is why they make you get a $200 maintenance every year (if you miss one maintenance year, your warranty is voided). They were by far the worst company we could have gone with.
Such are the pleasures of home ownership.
You know what, though? Considering that we got the worst possible case scenario of rains now, and it only amounted to a couple of sleepless nights and some days off work, we consider ourselves lucky. There are people who had water up to their windows and others who had to evacuate. We really got off easy.
To luck.
ina
Sunshine after the Storm
Posted on: April 2, 2010
- In: Happy
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There is no questioning what a rough week it’s been, but you gotta hold on and know that "it’s the storm, not you, that’s bound to blow away" (from The Secret Garden, the musical)
It’s a beautiful day today, and I am so glad I got out of the house to witness it. Much to my pleasure, as I was walking out of the house, my neighbor was pulling out of his driveway and offered me a ride too the train station. I love nice neighbors
It’s going to be a good day
ina
- In: Career
- 2 Comments
By the subject of this post you must be expecting that my salary negotiation turned out to be a disapointing discussion. And you would be right.
I went in there (or I called into it by phone) all armed with my best arguments: I want equality of pay, and I have the performance history to be on the higher end of my range. My boss reassured me from the start that he totally understood my situation, and I had approached it the right way. Now, he wanted to set the expectation that this kind of raise was simply not gonna happen. The best he could do is be my advocate and follow due process. The increase would happen in phases. First, I’d get a merit raise for my last job (a whole 0.3% higher than the standard raise, due to my great performance last year — woopty-freakin-doo). Second, he’d try to get me a similar raise for the switch in positions. Lastly, if there is any money left in the budget later in the year, we might be able to seek further adjustments. If that last action wasn’t possible, we’d discuss it again in the next raise cycle next year.
So, I thanked him for eveything and further explained that I was getting to the point where I won’t be able to afford working at this company. He said that if I found a position outside the company that was better, sometimes it was better to take it. Yup, I know where I fall on the food chain.
In other words, I will not be getting the raise I need. I’ll probably just end up with an 8% bump by the end of the year, and that will be the end of it. That is still about 15K less than the going rate for my position in Boston.
My husband said I could go work at his company in the implementations team (customer-facing). I know I’d make a lot more money there, and I’d be a shoe-in. Maybe it’s time to really weigh my options.
ina
