Just an Observation or Two (Who's Counting?)

It's Friday, and I've come to the true (i.e. "OMG I can't believe this is really real"---pardon the redundancy and /or limited/poor word choice) realization that April is pretty much GONE. Goodbye April, goodbye 1/3 of the year 2012. Isn't that crazy? I dunno about you guys, but now that I have been out of school for two---can you believe that, TWO---years, time just flashes before my eyes. My schedule is (sadly) a very predictable routine: wake up, get ready, work, go home, tiny moment (it seems) for personal activity/errands/exercise, sleep. Repeat Monday thru Friday. Saturdays are mostly taken up by babysitting and/or laundry. Sundays I can relax a bit, go to church, (and lately, watch 3 or 4 corny horror movies*). And then start all over again.

Routine is dull, but the silver lining is the fact that I have time to read more about different economic and political news going on. Goodness, let me just tell y'all, it seems like the term AUSTERITY is becoming as common as the word CHAD did back in the 2000 elections.

What's austerity? Prior to this drawn-out economic "downturn" (euphemisms rock!), I admit I only knew of the word as an adjective:

austere - adj. 1. stern and cold in appearance or manner; somber, grave; 2. morally strict: ascetic; 3. markedly simple or unadorned; 4. giving little or no scope for pleasure; 5. of a wine: having the flavor of acid or tannin predominant over fruit flavors usually indicating a capacity for aging

But with regards to the past few years, the word austerity---which, the way I see it, is an approach to fixing the economy by cutting down on spending and debt so that people/investors/countries/the world can become more confident in a particular country/economy, so that the economy can start growing once more---has been heard in a lot (A LOT) of economic articles, blogs, reports, etc. Some people have stubbornly defended it, even though this super genius idea (which goes against what econ textbooks teach us) has made matters no better, if not worse; just take a look at the latest European economy news. Others, including my economics-role model Paul Krugman, have long argued against it.

But I'm not trying to make any big arguments about austerity; from what I've read in the news and junk, even though the evidence is there, plain and clear, that this "cost-cutting and deficit-reducing" approach to stimulating the economy (in Europe, and to a smaller/unofficial degree, in the U.S.) is making things worse, our totally intelligent leaders will stay on the same great plan. I'm just making an observation, and I hope I'm wrong about remaining on the same austerity plan. Just an FYI:

austerity - n. 1. the quality or state of being austere; 2. an austere act, manner, or attitude; an ascetic practice; 3. enforced or extreme economy

(I got the exact definitions from Merriam-Webster Online. Oh yes, I love finding and sharing definitions. I love words.)

It's okay, by the way, if you completely ignored the observation above. I know I may not be very interesting when it comes to this subject---economics isn't for everyone hahaha---it's just something I had to get off my chest. Here, for your troubles, enjoy some annoying sun pictures, courtesy of some poor marketing ploy:

It's laughing at you. Whatchu gonna do about it?

Absolutely nothing. Let jaundice take over. And don't tell it the beard looks tacky.

Well now, did y'all know this is my 99th post? The next one, I can assure you, is gonna be EPIC, AWESOME, and PURR-FECT(?)! Just be patient my friends.

P.S. I don't know why the second sun picture wouldn't let me turn it over correctly. Probably because of the jaundice. Wait, hepatitis?

*If you were curious on what the asterisk was for, here you go! Corny horror movies are awesome. I will track them down on the internet and share my favorites along the way. :)

Music Monday: Title and Registration

It's another Music Monday at teenytinytidbits, and while it's a rather gorgeous and lovely day outside, I am, as usual for a Monday, confined to my desk at work. A few thoughts and memories have resurfaced in my mind, and I can't get rid of that concentrated-sinking-knot-feeling from my chest. I don't know if it's supposed to signal sadness, nostalgia, daydreaming, or a constant rush of adrenaline---maybe it's a combination of all those things.



Continuing with the Death Cab For Cutie countdown, I went back to their early years and have chosen to share Title and Registration. It fits fairly well with how I felt a few months ago, and right now I'm at that recovery stage in which I'm borderline 100% OK and on the verge of heartbreak-relapse. I'm a mess---but a mess that's trying to pull itself together and completely move on. I'll have you know, by the way, that I don't feel attachment to him (e.g. him physically/intellectually/emotionally), but rather to the faint and distant memories. I need to archive those memories and keep them in my mind purely for scholarly reasons, no longer for when I want to "feel wistful longing."

That being said, I'll leave you all with this little life observation: the easiest way to get over someone is by becoming involved with someone else. This is dumb because you never really know if this "someone else" is just a rebound or another good and worthy love. And no matter how long this new thing lasts (I can't call it love or anything like that---I'm trying to keep my distance and options open), it's bound to hurt at least one of us.

But it's always worth it.

Clean Up!

Just a few things I had to share before I deleted them from my phone...FOREVER. Enjoy :)

Right as 2011 started, we had this long-time regular customer (at the bank, and by regular I mean he would visit the bank at least 2 or 3 times a week) who brought us one of those FANCY Edible Arrangements fruit bouquet. For some reason I was the ONLY ONE excited and thrilled by the fact that these Edible Arrangements people could produce the year "2011" with pineapples.

As I devoured the year 2011, I decided to take a picture of the "2." I'll have you know that it was both SWEET and FRESH. (I kind of want some now, just remembering this delicious number.)

Speaking of the bank (my old job), I had the pleasure of finding the weirdest and quirkiest things. Take, for example, this lovely $20 bill. Oh sure, you think I'm just talking about this 20 because of the dashing and debonaire Andrew Jackson---just don't mention the Trail of Tears to me and we'll be good---but take a closer look....

Looks like somebody thought it would be fun to play "punch buggy" (or "slug bug" or as I prefer "PONCH BOGGY"). I thought it was adorable. Who makes stamps like these anyway and where can I get them AMIRITE??? Anyway, I had taken it upon myself to be the "MUTILATED/UNFIT CURRENCY COLLECTOR" (the one who takes all the ugly bills out of circulation), and so this little PONCH BOGGY bill had to go away to the Fed.

Another one of those quirky things, you know. I'm guessing ARTHUR was the genius behind this work of art. Maybe...MAYBE...this ARTHUR kid thought Ulysses S. Grant was...dare I say it...ONE COOL G? My guess is it was too bright outside so my boy G needed a cool pair of shades.

A little side note on this one: this bill had to go to its final resting place, but a couple of months later, as I was making my weekly "mutilated currency collection" rounds, a co-worker gave me a $50 bill. Guess what? ARTHUR had given this new Grant another pair of sunglasses. Boy, I guess this ARTHUR has a lot of 50's floating around, at least enough to accessorize them all!

{That second G, by the way, went away to the Fed too, to finally rest in peace.}

This is me just being...me. I don't like taking pictures, especially with my phone. When I got my first phone that actually had a camera in it, I did what all girls do: take pictures of myself, well, in my case, TRY to take pictures of myself.

All my pictures were FAILURES. I could never keep my eyes open. I still can't, except when I make crazy faces like the one in this picture. Or when I have at least one full "special" beverage. It's a true story. If you ever hang around with me and have a couple of drinks, that's when you'll see me wholeheartedly take part in group pictures and junk like that.

FYI, just because I can keep my eyes fully open doesn't necessarily mean the pictures are good. You've been warned.

I just thought this was funny. If you're near a Whole Foods Market, you might wanna go just to see the huge mango promotions going on. Like, seriously.

I honestly don't know if these mango specials are still going on or whatever, but I burst out laughing when I saw these happy mangos all over the store. I thought they were dancing but I don't really care---not my favorite fruit, but I admire the effort. (P.S. is it MANGOS or MANGOES?)

Lastly, I found this little piece of paper on my kitchen counter a while back. My first thought: why is there a Texas-shaped confetti in the kitchen?

Nobody in the house provided an answer or a reason for its existence or how it came to be in the house, but in any case it was sort of adorable. Not that I am a Texas-patriot or anything, but seeing as how I was born in Texas, live in Texas, sleep in Texas, I couldn't help but marvel at this unexpected surprise.

And so...

I had to do glam up this little Texas confetti picture, just so y'all could see how AWESOME Texas actually is.

Are you READY?

Oh yes, I totally did that. Now you can totally tell this is Texas.

Music Monday: Grapevine Fires

Happy Music Monday, friends!

I gotta say, I fancy this song, but I can't say the same about the actual video, seen below. Kind of abrupt lol. Enjoy:


On Friday, by the way, one of our clients came by for her appointment. She brought along a bag full of balloons and made flowers for all of us in the office. Here was mine:

Flower balloon! A very pleasant surprise :)

I had a lovely---though pretty uneventful---weekend. And another rainy and thundery Sunday.

On another note, what do you think about happiness? I've been thinking a little about it...

I'm Making a FOOD(?) Blog??

Hello, my dear Tidbits friends! Yes, that's right, a FOOD(?) blog. It's just a little experiment/journey my older sister and I are undertaking. One sandwich every week...that equals 45 weeks!


You're probably wondering (or maybe you're not, because you might not know about my "exclusive" eating habits): why on earth is Euni trying new sandwiches? Well, no, I'm not. First off, I don't eat meat (except chicken, which is irrelevant to the sandwich world anyway). Second, I don't like trying new things in front of people. I am however, totally open to recording other people's experience and reaction to new foods, and while I may not be able to completely relate to whatever "roast beef" or "ham" tastes like, I am a pretty darn good pretender and writer. LOL.


Anyway, I hope y'all will check out the blog: The Which Wich Project. {I am, btw, super PROUD of the fact that I made it look sandwich-tastic. I totally made that little background image myself!!! Imsoooootalented.}


Here's the link:
http://thewhichwichproject.blogspot.com


ENJOY (poor food pun totally intended). :)

Music Monday: Long Division

Today's, or rather, tonight's Music Monday post is short and bittersweet. Words just can't describe how this song makes me feel. When I listen to this song, I remember exactly how I felt, how loved ones smelled, how loved ones could lift my spirits up one moment and then completely bring me down the next. Schoolwork was the tough, and so was juggling three jobs. But I don't regret any of that time period. In fact, I think that year has been one of my favorite (and most memorable) years in my young life so far. 

I hope you enjoy this DCFC countdown song: Long Division.

 

Whirlwind

It's one of those moments in my life when I step back and look at what's going on. Where am I? Am I where I need to be? Are there any changes I need to make in my life to get to where I want and need to be?

Let's see...I have a job---a good job, but not my dream job---and I work 8 or so hours a day, and sometimes I'm busy, while other times I go crazy not knowing what to do with myself.

I read, though not as much as I would love to---that should change in the next couple of weeks, as I FINALLY subscribed to The Economist, and should have complete access to relevant news of the economy and whatnot. (On a side note, I will make time so I can finish reading Glamorama---another Bret Easton Ellis novel---I feel soooo bad for not finishing it sooner, and making all of the other books on my "Read Me" list collect dust on my dresser.)

I have more than enough clothes, and I need to STOP buying new clothes every time I go to the mall. It's a really bad habit, and I should be saving that money instead---who knows how tight my budget will be this summer, fall, and (hopefully) next spring when I add schoolwork to my life again.

The March of Dimes March for Babies is coming up---I've gotten into a routine now and hope to maintain it now and after the march. I kind of want to see if I can train a bit harder and maybe (a HUGE maybe) participate in a more intense run in the "near" future.

I've started to keep in touch with close friends (from my "younger" days and from my times at the bank), and I'd like to keep it that way. It's not fun when you stop talking and hanging out with good friends.

Today is (or was, since we're at the end of this fine Sunday) Easter Sunday, and with this celebration comes a sense of renewal and security. Lent is over, and I am now able to eat potato chips (and all those deliciously bad junk food snacks) again. In the past 40 days, I also made an effort to entirely ignore and not search for any information about the former love of my life. I hid his stuff from my news feed on Facebook, I made sure I was always offline to avoid any (though unlikely I think) potential and unwanted conversations from him...I even blocked his current girlfriend from my account---sometimes, and I'll admit it, I can get carried away with the whole "creeping"---I mean, INVESTIGATING---thing, so I knew it was the best thing for everyone for me to just do that. It's been good for me, not preoccupied with what he might be thinking or doing or whatever. I'm free. Sure, I think about him from time to time, and I miss him and the memories, but it's still okay. I live my life, he lives his life. I'm not ready to unexpectedly encounter him someday yet, I need to work on that. To be totally alright and unaffected by seeing him again.

So I have a few things to work on, but breaking them down like I did above has calmed me a bit. I don't need to fret, panic, or worry about anything. God just has a way of making things all come together at the right time. I'm in the right place right now. :)

P.S. I will totally write about my GAME THEORY tidbit and my healthcare opinion fairly soon: I don't have MS Paint on my laptop, so please bear with me as I need to make cute charts and for those posts. I hope it's worth it! :)