Friday, May 11, 2007

Careers I have seriously considered, am still considering, or have pursued:


  1. Early Childhood Education Teacher
  2. College History, English, or Theology Professor
  3. Artist
  4. Graphic Designer
  5. One of those people who sets up the window displays at Barnes and Noble
  6. Editor
  7. Singer/Songwriter
  8. Recording Artist
  9. Just plain writer
  10. Tattoo Artist
  11. Owner of a Flower Shop
  12. Chef
  13. Race Car Driver
  14. Stunt Car Driver
  15. Climb Everest (OK, it's not really a career, but I've always wanted to do it)
  16. Mountaineering Expedition Leader?
  17. Interior Designer
  18. Stay at Home Mom
  19. Model
  20. Astronomer
  21. Cosmetologist
  22. Massage Therapist
  23. Psychologist
  24. Missionary (to someplace in Asia/South America)
  25. Clothing Designer
  26. Any job at Google (I'm always trying to figure out if there's a way to make this happen because it would be SO GROOVY to work at Google.)
  27. Fitness Trainer
  28. Bartender

Lack of direction, much? I have no idea what I want to do. Number 18 is the only one I'm entirely sure about.

Here are a few jobs that I don't think I would be good at:

  1. Electrician
  2. Mathematician (I have troubles with simple addition)
  3. Professional Speaker (Why is this different than recording artist? I'd rather eat worms than speak in front of a large group of people, but I'm completely comfortable singing in front of them. WHY?)
  4. Politician of any kind (I have too much integrity for politics, which is to say, I have some integrity, which is too much for politics)
  5. Lawyer (see previous)
  6. Linebacker
  7. VJ
  8. DJ
  9. Matchmaker
  10. Watchmaker
  11. Bird Watcher
  12. Bob Ross
  13. Mob Boss
  14. That dude from MTV- what's his name? The guy from jackass, and he has his own show now. You know who I'm talking about.
  15. Advice Columnist
  16. Exotic Dancer (I can barely stand in heels- how could I dance in them? Answer: awkwardly.)
  17. Your Company's Computer Guy
  18. Bouncer
  19. Accountant
  20. Receptionist (.......)

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Since I have to let people in because our doors are locked now, I thought it would be interesting to keep track of how many times I got up. In the first hour of my work day, I got up 12 times. I lost count around lunch but I think the total is 47 or 48. And 47 or 48 times, I've feigned a chuckle (in a progressively less convincing manner) to variations on the following jokes/comments: (What I wanted to say. My actual answer.)

You sure are getting your exercise!
Are you calling me fat? You insensitive, chauvinist pig! :::cries::: Haha, yeah.
Wow, that must be inconvenient for you.
You're damn right it is! Thanks for pointing it out! Haha, yeah.
Keeping the riff-raff out, huh?
I don't know how you slipped past me. Don't make me call the cops. Haha, yeah.
Don't you like me?
Come to think of it, no. Not at all, in fact. Hahaha.
What's wrong with the door?
What's wrong with your face? We're keeping it locked for security reasons.
Don't they have a button for you to open the door?
Frickin A! Of course not! No.

But they finally did get me a button, basically in time for me to start my other job. Thanks, guys. 'Preciate it. They also thought it necessary to get a phone for our lobby so on the rare occasion that I leave the desk for a moment and someone happens to come up to the doors, they can call someone. This is a good idea in theory. However, our security guy (an ex-FBI agent) decided it would be better for the phone to automatically ring the phone on my desk. Which means the visitor who is stuck in the lobby because I'm not at my desk to let them in can call... me... at my desk... while I'm in the bathroom. FBI, whatever. No one has ever accused our government of having common sense.

But I don't want to complain.

....


..........





I guess I can't think of anything else to talk about, then. Aren't I just a bundle of spring flowers?

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

I am not alone

Look at It, Sitting There in That Box, Plotting, Plotting...

Man: Styrofoam... Just thinking of it sends chills up and down my spine. Man, I hate that stuff.

Overheard by: aaron


via Overheard Everywhere, Apr 15, 2007

Monday, May 07, 2007

Now our card reading system is completely down. If I wasn't quitting before, I sure would now.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Today, the first Thursday of May, is the National Day of Prayer. Congress defined this day as a day when "all Americans, regardless of faith, are asked to come together and pray in their own way". I think it's very cool, in light of a few recent tragedies in this country, and given that I firmly believe in the power of prayer. I also think it's a lovely way to bring together different denominations and even different religions, if it's approached the right way. I see it as an opportunity to cultivate peace and unity.

Additionally, today is celebrated by many atheists, agnostics, and secularists as the National Day of Reason. Nationaldayofreason.org says this is "an appropriate response to the... annual abuse of the constitution (National Day of Prayer)". In order to "effect positive change", celebrators of this day donate blood. I think this is very cool because it's a practical thing to do that benefits real people. You often hear people talking about their good will, but less often you see people actually demonstrating altruism.

Maybe you've noticed the new book I'm reading, The Language of God by Francis S. Collins. Collins is a born-again Christian, a converted skeptic, and as a renowned physician and geneticist, Collins was also the leader of the Human Genome Project (which was completed in 2003). His book has provided a fascinating perspective for me- raised as an agnostic, Collins didn't develop any sort of religious belief at all until he was a med student and encountered a woman whose faith gave her hope even though her cancer would take her life in a matter of months. Collins became aware of his total ignorance on the subject of faith and decided to find out the truth for himself, eventually becoming a Christian. For Collins, facts came before faith.

Faith and spirituality have always been a part of my life. I was raised in a wholly Christian family, going to church every Sunday since I can remember. I was a ninth grader when I decided that 'my parent's religion' just didn't do it for me, and I sought out other faiths like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Wicca, ultimately coming to the conclusion that none of them filled the emptiness inside me. Eventually, after a period of hopelessness, I realized that Jesus satisfied that longing and suddenly He was my own, not just my parent's. But science has never been something I've sought out. I'm a feeler more than an analyzer. For me, faith came before facts. But now I'm becoming aware of my staggering ignorance in most fields of science.

You see, Collins is a firm believer not only in Jesus and His work on the cross, but in the theory of evolution. Some of you Christians out there probably cringe at the idea, just like I did. The average Christian is raised to vehemently oppose evolution- Darwin is a name nearly on par with Hitler, and the man who expresses an adherence to his works is thought to be blaspheming. But Collins presents a good case for it and reconciles his scientific convictions with his spiritual ones in a way that is clear and sensible. Since when did Reason and Faith become mortal enemies? Why does there have to be so much enmity between Intellectualism and Salvation? How did Science and Theology become polar opposites?

In any case, I am done believing things because I heard my pastor or my dad or my Sunday school teacher say it. I don't want to be an ignorant person, blindly staking claim on things I don't understand, taking a zealous stand on things I've never even tried to understand. After all, the Earth turned out to be a round body which revolves around the sun. The Church was ready to throw Galileo in prison 375 years ago, but his discoveries are now undisputed by the religious and secular alike. I am a Christian and a reasonable person, and I intend to learn what I can so I can make informed decisions that are compatible with both my faith and my intelligence. As Collins puts it in Language, "A believer need not fear that this investigation will dethrone the divine; if God is truly Almighty, He will hardly be threatened by our puny efforts to understand the workings of His natural world."

I didn't realize this morning that today was the Day of Prayer or Reason, but I'll be praying today (really, shouldn't I be praying every day?), and I plan on giving blood, if not today then tomorrow.

Happy Day of Prayer and Reason!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

We had our first married fight.

It happened during the biological and emotional hurricane women politely refer to as "that time of the month", so things didn't look good for Stephen from the outset.

It should have been a simple resolution.

"It hurt my feelings when you did that, because of the following reasons."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I won't do that again."
"Thanks. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that in the first place."
"That's ok."

That's how it normally goes, when I possess the ability to coherently communicate my thoughts and feelings. But we went in circles, accomplishing nothing, for at least an hour. The whole thing was ridiculous. By the time we stopped, I couldn't really remember what we were talking about.

Stephen said he felt like he was trying to dismantle a bomb. So the new rule about arguing while I'm TMSing is:

Step 1: Cautiously offer me chocolate. (cheese also is an acceptable peace offering)
Step 2: Suggest a bath. Light candles. (optional)
Step 3: Get the hell out of the house for at least an hour.
Step 4: Return to a relaxed and less volatile Rachel who probably will have appreciated your thoughtfulness, realized her own error, and likely will apologize immediately.
Step 5: Make up.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Rachel Facts

Here is my response to Beth's open-ended tag-post. Seven little-known facts about me:

1. I have to keep my food organized on my plate. For example, if I'm eating rice, chicken, and salad, each of those three things will be separated on my plate by a minimum of 3/4 an inch. I'll constantly push the rice back into a neat pile and try desperately to keep the salad dressing from spreading. And while most people will declare themselves finished while there is still 7 grains of rice, a cucumber slice, and a tiny shred of chicken left on their plate, I literally eat every bit, unless I decide I can't finish, in which case I will leave my unfinished food in their respective sections.

2. When the clock reads 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, or 5:55, I kiss the wall and make a wish. This is a compulsive thing- I can't help it, though I have learned how to make it a bit more discreet. I will often kiss the tips of the first two fingers on my right hand and touch the wall (or window, if I'm driving), but I have to hold my fingers on the wall for a few extra seconds in order to make up for it not being an actual kiss. The wall behind my desk at work has little grubby fingerprints on it.

3. If I'm playing solitaire and someone points out a move I could make, I have to end that game immediately and begin a new one.

4. I cannot stand to have my belly button touched. Being poked in my belly button or in it's general vicinity makes me feel like throwing up. Stephen nearly learned this the hard way when he playfully poked my stomach and accidentally caught me directly in the belly button. We were at the airport on our way home from the disastrous tropical leg of our honeymoon. Thankfully, I didn't vomit, but everything about my face must have indicated that I was about to because Stephen backed up pretty quick.

5. I need both sides of my body to be balanced. I mostly notice this when I'm being forced to stand still, waiting in a line or something. I start to feel like I'm putting more weight on my left foot than on my right, so I shift to my right foot, but then that side feels heavier, and I just drive myself crazy trying to achieve a balance.

6. I cannot burp. At all. The closest I can get to a burp is a sort of gurgling noise. Furthermore, this matter has always distressed me. I greatly desire this ability which God saw fit not to bless me with. First, it is a gastronomic relief (or so I have heard). But mostly, it is funny.

7. Loathe. Detest. Abhor. I can't find words strong enough to fully describe the way I feel about packing styrofoam. The noise it makes, the way it feels on your hands... I got goosebumps just writing that. In short, it gives me the jibblies.

A special note: blogger's spell check does not like the word jibblies, but it offers wobblies as a possible substitute. According to Miriam-Webster:
Wobbly is a noun meaning: a member of the Industrial Workers of the World

Hahaha!

Wedding Pictures!

Ok, here's the deal. The professional photos we got for our wedding and reception are posted on a personal page on our photographers website. I could post that link here, but I feel funny about making my very intimate wedding day images public to any and all freaks and creeps who may stumble onto my blog. But I want to share them, so if you want to see the pictures, just shoot me an email and if I know who you are I'll reply back with the link. Easy!

In case the link doesn't work: rachelrenae123@gmail.com