Male Irritation

You know...Finding good guys seems impossible sometimes.  Finding guys with good qualities isn't really as hard as you would think.  The problem is that almost every guy does things that are so irritating that it makes it nearly impossible to see past it.    So, this post is for you guys.  We know you don't mean to be annoying, so I'm giving you a few things that I hate the most, in hopes that you will try to analyze your actions and make sure you aren't doing any of the following.  I know 5 will never be enough, but I think we need to take it slow.  Ok.  Here it is:

The 5 Things I Hate Most About Guys!!

1. Guys who think they're hilarious!!

  This is for those guys who are basically full of themselves.  They talk non-stop about how great their sense of humor is, and how funny they are, and oh...the world would just break into pieces if it weren't for them cracking the funniest darn jokes all day long.  Yeah, that's right ladies.  You know what I'm talking about; they guy who always laughs harder at his own joke than anybody else does.  We love a sense of humor, but please...don't be arrogant.  (this goes for other things too, this one just happens to be a pet peeve of mine)

2. Touchy-Feely!

Yeah, I know you're just being nice, and in our generation of huggers (hug everybody hello, hug everybody goodbye. What happened to "hey guys!" with a wave???), it's considered the norm, and it's "excusable".  Well, it's not that I don't like being touched, it's just that I don't like it when guys assume they have the right to put their arm on my shoulder, or poke me, tickle me, hug me, squeeze my sides, grab my face, rub my back ETCETERA, ETCETERA!  If a girl goes for the hug, that's great.  Just don't assume we don't care.  It's insulting.

3. You think you're always right!

I firmly believe that guys are supposed to be the leaders in relationships, marriages especially.  They need to make the big decisions, and support their family.  As wives we need to submit to our husbands.  BUT guys need to be respectful of our opinions.  They need to at least hear us out.  If we have 2 different views on a subject, don't immediately shoot mine down.  Just give it some thought.  That's all I'm asking.

4.Doors.

If you and I are both walking up to a door at the same time...DON'T YOU EVER, EVER NEVER EVER EVER open it, and walk through first.  Hold the door.  Honestly, it takes two seconds.  It's extremely rude to walk through first.  I'm not saying walk around to our side of the car and open it for us to get out (that would be nice, but not really required), just use some common courtesy. 

5. EWWW!!!

Alright, this is last, but absolutely not least.  USE SOME STINKING DEODORANT.  There's nothing better than a guy that smells nice, and nothing worse than a guy that smells bad.  If you have a problem, go get the prescription stuff.  End of story.

Just use your brain.  This stuff is pretty obvious, yet almost every guy I know does fails to meet at least 1 of these 5 requirements. 

P.S. It's really quite messed up when you have a girlfriend, and you STILL are touchy-feely with us.  It makes us feel extra awkward, too.

How to add Amazon and Adsense accounts to your blog!

There are some really great ways to monetize your blog.

A few of them are  by adding Amazon and Adsense accounts.  Amazon is...well, Amazon.  The Amazon Associates program allows readers to buy a book you may be reviewing, or promoting.

An Adsense account allows Google to place advertisements on your blog based on the content of your posts.  There are a few ways to set it up, including pay-per-click, or pay per purchase.

How to add the Amazon Associates account:

First, go to the Amazon home page and scroll to the bottom.  Under the section titled, "Make Money With Us", there is a 'Join Associates' button.  Click that and it will take you to the Amazon Associates home page. 

Next, on the right hand side of that page you will see an area to log in.  You should see a button under that saying, "join now for FREE'.  Signing up is very simple.  Amazon will have you fill out a minimal amount of information.  After that they will take 1 to 3 business days to go over the information you provided about what kind of website you have and how you run it in order to approve you.

Then, you will select a payment method and boom!  You're signed up

Now, for the Adsense account.

If you have a blog on Blogger, it is very, very easy.

All you have to do is go to your Blogger homepage, and find the button that says 'Monetize' at the top.  Next, you will click "create Adsense Account".  Then you will again fill out some basic information to sign yourself up.  Google is very generous with their choices and variey of ways to input ads in your blog.  You can put them all different places depending on the look you want.

In order to do that you should go to your dashboard on Blogger and click the 'design' button.  From there you will click "add a gadget'.  once you find the Adsense gadget you go through the steps to place the advertisements.  Once you save your new changes, voila!  You're done, and you can start making money!

It's really simple and a great way to make money if you do it right.

That Time of Night

Yep.  It's that time night.  The time when everyone in the house is quiet, I'm home from my activities, and my mind is running rampant.


It's that small portion of time that's all mine.  It belongs to me, and I love taking the time to appreciate it.  This is the time when I think of all the facets of my life at once.  They come together to form a single, short moment of clarity.

I can see clearly.

There are many, so many, beautiful instants in life.  Like today, when I drove with the windows down for the first time this year, and I could see the sun bursting through the clouds. I could see the golden warmth streaming through the rolling clouds, some of which looked remarkably like fairytale castles to me.  That was a beautiful moment when I was reminded of all the good in my life. I was reminded that there is so much sunshine exploding into my life.  Even the clouds, which we sometimes choose to see as a bad thing, they have their purpose, and they are beautiful in their own way.


Anyway, there are always precious moments throughout the day, but this has to be my favorite.


I realized that at this moment in my life, I am at a jumping off point. I am at the base of my life right now.  This is the first time in my life when I realized that I have NO IDEA what comes next.  I've always had at least a vague idea of what was going to happen next.  Now...nothing.

What's ahead for me?  What adventures will I lay claim to?

Have you ever thought of that?  The thought that I have life before me.  I mean life.  It's so exciting.  There will be times when my heart is truly broken.  There will be times when I will laugh so hard I will cry and there will be epiphany moments, when I realize what my life is really about.  Or what Christ's life was all about, or something.  I will be around people. I will make new friends. I will lose some. I will, D.V., get married. Who will be with me?  What will the relationships I have now be like in 10 years?  I don't know.  And I'm so excited to find out.


But at the same time its frightening, and leaving me apprehensive.  I'm trying to form a plan for next year, but nothing's working out the way I want it to.  I'm so nervous.


Today I heard a song, that hit home.  I heard a song that made me say, "duh!"  The line that got my attention was: " Another wave of doubt, will it pull you under?  You wonder, what if I'm overtaken, what if I never make it?  What if no one's there?  Will you hear my prayer?  When You take that first step into the unknown, you know that He won't let you go.  So what are you waiting for?"


God's not letting me go.  Even if everyone else is leaving me on my own, to make these next decisions, God is always there, leading me every step of the way.  Even if I don't know what's coming next, God is showing me to my door of opportunity.  And even if I'm not 100% sure, and I take a step, maybe even a wrong step, or I do something crazy, it's not as though God's will abandon me for that.  He's still keeping me safe, and I know He always will.


So tonight, in my moment of clarity, I am resting peacefully.  Knowing that God, my Savior is protecting me in His hand, and will be with me as I take these first steps into the unknown.  Praise God from whom ALL blessings, including this moment of clarity and peace, flow freely.

I don't care what people think about me! .....Right?

I've heard it all my life: "Don't worry about what other people think."

It's also something I've always struggled with.  I suppose it's a weakness of mine.  I take things to heart far deeper than I should.

A Focus Problem.

It's so hard for me to focus on what God thinks of me, versus what my friends, family and teachers think of me.  Even people I don't know!  If I'm out at the store, or wherever, and someone I don't even know looks at me sideways I feel awful.  It's all of a sudden my goal to get out of that place as quickly as possible.  And it's ridiculous!  Why should I care if that stranger browsing the shoe section doesn't like me outfit?  Or my purse or my face or whatever!

Yeah, I know it doesn't make sense but that doesn't change the way I feel.  There are also times when my friends or family will half jokingly make a remark about my appearance, or something I've done or made, and I play it off as a joke, too.  I'm not about to let those people know that what they said actually makes me feel terrible.  The thing is I've become an expert at reading too far into things.  When someone is just joking I always remind myself that there's a little truth to every joke.

It's a matter on the inside.

Where most people can brush it off, or laugh about it with their friend, I can only pretend to do those things.  I   laugh about it, but when I go home, I either do everything in my power to fix what they've mentioned, or if it's something I can't change I become self conscious about it for the rest of my life.

I criticize myself so harshly before anyone else ever does that when it happens, it's like being hit with a baseball bat.  When someone points out a flaw of mine that I've picked at and worked on and blown up to be bigger than it really is, then I immediately think that the other person is thinking of me as badly as I am.  And then, why would they want to be around me?

It's stupid, it really is.  And I need to get over it.  The older I get, the better the problem gets.  I'm now at a point where I don't care what people I don't know think of me.  They've got their own problems to deal with, and I'll never see them again, so who cares?  Also, when friends that aren't really close to me say things, or look at me funny, I don't care then, either.  My huge problem now is when my family and closest friends say things to me, it makes me feel awful.  I want them to love me as much as I love them.  I want them to think of me as fondly as I think them, and if my 'talents' seem stupid to them or not good enough, then it crushes me.

Now, I realized this week that I am completely limiting myself. I will never be able to do anything great or worthwhile if I'm only trying to please everyone else.  My focus needs to be on God, and God only.  He loves me, and He's given me talents and characteristics that can be used for Him.

I was made for more than this!

I have goals for myself.  Goals that I've never uttered to another person.  Goals that only The Lord knows I have.  I never talk about them because I don't want people to think that they're silly.  I don't speak of them because they seem so far off, and intangible.  But the thing is, if I'm worried about what the people around me think, then they ARE intangible.  They ARE impossible.  The only way I can achieve these things is by doing what the Lord wants me to do, and let Him and His will lead me.  Anything is possible with God.

Now His plans might not be what my plans are.  He might have different goals for me than I have for myself, but one thing is certain:  If I follow Christ, and let him work in me, then He will bless me, and He will allow me to do something that I never could have dreamed of.  Only the Great I Am knows what's best for me.  And as  I keep Him at the center of my focus He will do the best thing for me no matter what.  Even if it seems 'bad' to the world's standards.

I was made for a greater purpose.  I was made for better things than the petty woes of this world.  All God's people are.  So it's time for me to stand up for myself.  Not so much on the outside, I already do that, but on the inside.  It's time for me to say, "I will take your views into consideration, but you will never be the deciding factor."

I believe this is something that so many, many people struggle with.  And it's heart breaking because we are quieting our voices instead of raising them for Christ.  I will raise my voice, I will raise my standards, and I will do great things with the power of The Lord in me.

Millenium Soldier: Wearer of the Gold Book Review

Sci-fi? Ummmmm...not usually!

The past couple of weeks I've had the opportunity to read a sci-fi novel that a friend of mine wrote: Millennium Soldier: Wearer of the Gold by Voyle Glover.  I was excited to read something different (I'm not usually a sci-fi reader), yet skeptical, as I am with most books pre-read. 

I was pleasantly surprised.  Something I noticed right off the bat was that the book was beautifully descriptive.  I have a tendency to become bored by author's predictable, never-ending adjectives that seem to outnumber the nouns ten to one.  I end up skipping portions of books because I can get the right idea without having to suffer their inarticulate redundancy.  If you can't tell, it's a pet peeve of mine.  Anyway, I found that I didn't need to skip anything, and my attention never wavered in Millennium Soldier. 

What Makes It Good?

The author has an excellent capability to know "when to stop", so to speak.  The story line was also extremely intriguing.  Although sci-fi is supposed to be new, and contain uncommon ideas; things that are not truly possible, they can, like everything else, fall into a rut of sameness.  They can become predictable.  Not so with this one.  Glover formed a new, unheard of idea and spun it into an intricately designed narrative that will hold the attention of readers of all ages.

The story tells of a man named Cubal, a bred fighter, and tells of his battles (supposedly after his time of being a warrior) with Good and Evil.  Which side will he fight for?  Who will win him over?  What will Cubal decide?

I'm not going to spoil it for you. YOU need to get the book and find out for yourself.  Even if you're not typically a sci-fi reader (I'm not) this is something you will enjoy.  It's versatile, it's intriguing...it's just good.

Go get the book, read it, and let me know what you think!

The Flow Of Writing

What is writing? 

For me, it's not picking up a pen and pencil and putting black ink on a paper.  It's not about the letters of the words, or the penmanship with which they're written.  It's not about the sound of the words once they're read or as they're being spattered out on a keyboard.  For me, it's all about the feel of the words. 

Sometimes, starting to write something is exceedingly difficult for me.  Whether it's an Economics paper, or a poem, or just any old thing I jot down.  Even starting to write on this blog, where I can say anything I want, can be painful almost.  But I do it anyway.  Because once I start, I'll usually get the words flowing.  And it's almost like the concious part of my mind goes to sleep.  I start feeling the words with my mind, and once my mind gets on track, there's no stopping it.  The words just come to me.  It's like I'm not thinking about what I'm saying.  I am, but I don't feel the burden of that thinking.  It's my subconcious moving my fingers on the keyboard and giving everything on this screen life.

There are many times when I'm by myself, just thinking of how I feel, or what needs to be done about a certain situation.  And I can't figure it out.  I can't explain how I feel, even to myself! I can't put my thoughts or feelings into words.  But as I sit at the computer, and I start getting a rythym out, all of a sudden I'll be typing as fast as I'm thinking and letting my fingers do all the work; and FINALLY I'll look at the screen and realize that my brain has put my feelings into words for me.  Sometimes it's the only way I can figure anything out.

Most of the time my writing is done on the notepad accessory.  Just a blank screen.  I beat out the first few sentences or paragraphs and then let myself go.   And it's beautifully therapeutic.  There's nothing like it.  There's also nothing like "waking up" or, "snapping out of it"  and realizing that you have a good page of comprehendible, words; that I have one, completed thought sitting there on my screen.  And I'll read it, and think, "Oh!  I wish I had realized this before".

Now, one thing's for certain: Not everyone is a writer.  Some just aren't meant for it.  But  I gotta say, for those of you who say you don't like writing, or it's just too hard.  Give it a shot.  Everyone needs to give it a shot at least a couple times.  Even when it seems  impossible, and you have no idea where you're going with your first paragraphs, just keep kneading the dough, and eventually, your mind might catch on, and before you know it you could be writing some great things that you had no idea you were capable of. 

If you're a writer, you might not even know it.  However, if you are, the satisfaction of writing is worth the trouble a thousand times over.  I'm addicted to it. 

So...What are you waiting for?  Give it a try!

Hard Decisions

We all have to make some tough decisions in our life.  Kids and adults, ages 5-100 have to decide what the right thing is, and then decide whether or not to do the right thing.  While the individual decisions vary, the inward conflict doesn't.  A five year old might struggle with, "Should I take the cookie, even though Mom told me not to?"  just as much as an adult might struggle with "Should I tell my boss that it's really my fault we lost our client?"

You see, even though the latter example could have far worse consequences than the first example, the inward struggle is the same.   And while the above situations are matters of integrity there is a myriad of other things that people have to deal with.  I recently talked with a friend of mine who was head over heels in love with his girlfriend.  He wanted to marry her, but he saw that she was becoming an idol in his life and taking up more space in his heart and mind than God was.  He saw that she was becoming a barrier between him and the Lord, and he knew he needed to change.  Even though (we'll call him Tim) Tim couldn't stand the thought of being apart from "Sarah", and he didn't know how Sarah would respond, he told her that he needed to take a break, step back and get his priorities and focus in line. 

It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, but it was the right thing. 

I deal with tough decisions all the time, and it can make me weary if I don't have the right mindset.  Lots of times I try to do everything myself.  I try to be strong, and take a stand on my own.  And every time that happens, I FAIL.  Miserably.  The truth is that no one can do the right thing without Christ's help, and as soon as I let my focus slip away from God, I find myself drowning in a sea of pride. 

It's only when I give my struggles to God; cast my cares upon Him, and cling to Him for dear life that I find the strength to rise against the pressures and temptations of my human, deceitful heart.

Lately I've been stupid.  I've been living in sin, and then feeling guilty, and thinking, "Well I can't turn to God now, when I'm sinning so badly.  How can he accept me like this?  No, I'll get back on my feet, start doing the right thing, and then ask God to forgive me, and renew my spirit."  But it doesn't work like that!  One of the many, beautiful things about God is that He takes us in when we are in the pits of sin, and wretchedness.  He is the only one who can help us back to our feet in the first place.

My prayer is, "Lord, give me the strength and courage to do the right thing even when I'm terrified of the results."

Because right now I am.  I'm terrified of the pain and hardship that can accompany making the right decision, even though I know that I will have Christ Jesus to protect me, and keep me safe, and hold me in his hand.  God's love and protection are infinitely more powerful than any pain or hard times that this world can use to try and hold us prisoner.

So, today I am looking to the Lord, and asking Him to give me His strength that I might stand firm against all my idols, temptations and fears. 

I pray that you will join me in this rebellion against fear and sin; against this world in which we live.  The only comfort and hope that we have is that we are not our own, but belong body and soul to our faithful savior, Jesus Christ.

Sugar Danger?

To Believe, Or Not To Believe, That Is The Question

You know, there are a lot of warnings out there.  About...everything.  It seems that people, namely professionals, experts, and know-it-alls of every kind, feed off of scaring people.  They need something to make their Ph.D worthwhile; something to be known for.

Well, once you've read all the health-scare articles, seen all the television interviews, bought the books, and listened to the "professionals" over the radio, you must come to the realization that there are only 2 options available.

1.- You can retreat to a sterile bubble of healthy loneliness.
or,
2.- Pray that you've been born with a good amount of common sense, and grab life by the reins; living boldy enough to take every warning with a grain of salt.                             

Really, the only way to know what's true and what's not is to research what you hear.  That doesn't mean spending 6 hours of your life on every single piece of information you ever hear, but that's where common sense comes in.

Lately, high fructose corn syrup has been getting a lot of hype.  I've heard a few things about it, but it got me thinking about sugar.  You know, regular sugar.  The refined, bleached type of sugar that we put in our baked goods and coffee every day.  Well I thought so much about it I decided to do some actual checking-up on it.

I must say, out of all dos and don'ts in the health field, I've found a worthwhile subject in the dangers of consuming sugar.  There are side affects that I wouldn't have dreamed could come from sugar.  The main reason I'm blogging about this right now is because I've personally gained from the information.

I've been subject to what I would call 'temper tantrums' and emotional breakdowns more and more often as of late, as well as unusual clumsiness, the shakes when hungry, and a few other uncharacteristic traits.    I had no idea what was going on. My most recurring thought recently has been, What the heck is wrong with me?  Well I've found the answer.

The Answer to My Craziness!

The book 'Sugar Shock' by Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C., opens by telling the author's horror story of up-and-down symptoms, some of which were the exact same as mine.  This caught my attention, and held it enough for me to finish the book.  Connie lists symptoms that millions of Americans experience every year, often without ever finding the cure.

Bennett lists 44 common symptoms including, mood swings, drowsiness, sleeping too much, difficulty concentrating, joint pains, anxiety, light headedness, heart palpitations, nightmares, digestive problems, peculiar breath, lack of coordination, and 32 others.
Watch this video of Dr. Robert Lustig as he explains the impact that sugar has on your body.





There are speculations about everything, but I've found such a plethera of resources on this particular subject, that I would say there's no denying it.

No denying what?

Well let's be specific.  There's no denying that eating too much sugar causes health problems.  I'm a firm believer in moderation.  For some things, our bodies need sugar.  We can use it to our benefit, but most people's idea of a reasonable amount of sugar is way too much than we should actually be eating.  Our bodies can't handle it, even if we don't realize it.

I used to think that the only reason to avoid sugar was to lose weight.  While it is true that cutting out sweets will make an impact on how much you weigh, I am a pretty thin person, and losing weight has never been one of my top priorities.  However, I had no idea how much of an impact sugar was having on my system until I cut it out of my diet for 2 weeks straight.

The first thing I noticed was that I wasn't waking up in the morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck in my sleep.  I thought it was normal to feel awful in the mornings, but once I truly felt good when I woke up, I can't imagine going back.  I used to dread going to sleep because I knew my next conscious moments would be ones of pain.  I used to wake up with headaches and an overall grogginess.  Now, I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go.  I can't believe I never knew what that felt like until only a few weeks ago.

The next of my noticed improvements was my ability to concentrate, and focus on a job.  It's not like I have ADD or something where I sit down to read a book and my mind jumps from one thing to the next, and I can't hone in on what the author is trying to say, it's more general than that.  I noticed that I started being more efficient.  I was getting my work done a few days before the deadline, instead of minutes before.  I remembered to put my keys on the shelf when I walked in the door, which, in turn, saved me tons of would-be searching time. 

One of my greatest benefits though, has been my feeling of self control.  My whacked out, rollercoaster emotions and hormones no longer lead my thoughts.  Actually, I suppose they're not whacked out or rollercoaster-ish anymore.  The last couple of months have really been scaring me.  I would become furious over something small, or let a small, sad story pervade my thoughts to the point of depression.  I knew that I was acting, and feeling out of character, but even so, it was very difficult to identify when it was happening because in the heat of the moment I always felt justified in my ideas.  Thankfully, all that craziness flew out the window once I started cutting out the sweets. 

It wasn't easy, especially at first, to pass up a donut, or soda, or even a piece of candy, but after the first couple days my cravings became less and less.  I've received too many benefits to list on here from making that choice and I'm so glad I did.  Now, my mother is cutting it out of her diet, too, and in the first week she's already been sleeping better, having more energy, and getting fewer headaches.

Moderation, Moderation, Moderation!

Now, I still eat a cookie, or have some candy here and there, but the key is moderation.  It means everything.  For me it means healthy or unhealthy.  Is that what it means for you?  Please, don't take my word for it!  Do some searching of your own, maybe do your own two week experiment without sugar and see how much better you feel.

What physical or emotional ailments are you dealing with?  What would it be like to have those minimized or gone?  Wouldn't it be nice to be in control of yourself?

Successful Blogs, and How To Write One

What makes a successful Blog?

Well, I suppose the answer to that question could vary, depending on what you want the blog for.  If you just need a place to vent and let out your frustrations and questions to no one in particular, than creating a blog that is successful for you probably wouldn't be too difficult.  You'd just sign up, type whatever you want, post it, and log off. 

The thing is, a lot of people have a different definition of a 'successful' blog.  To the majority, a successful blog would be one that received a large number of views, or one that brings in money.  This is a little harder to achieve, but with a little effort, you can have one of your own.

First of all, write about something you actually care about.  Seriously.  If you're just writing about something you have to write about, without any passion or care, it's never going to turn out as well as you would like, no matter how much effort you put into it.  Remember that your audience isn't stupid.  And when you're bored writing the post, that boredom will seep through the screen and make them bored as well. 

A successful blog is a reliable blog.

Don't just throw stuff in your blog that you think is true.  Do your homework!  Your audience wants to be able to trust you.  They want to be well informed about whatever the subject is and, as the author, you absolutely must provide them with worthwhile information.  Besides, you learn a lot too, when you do your research.

As far as getting blog traffic, there are more than a few tricks to the trade.  I don't know even close to all of them, but I'm learning.  Slowly but surely.     For starters, a teacher of mine tells me that the key to blog traffic is making Google happy.  There are certain things you can do in the HTML that Google can read and then use to 'categorize' your blog, making it more available to Google users. I use header tags, or H tags.  Another way to let Google categorize them is by using the "Labels" section at the bottom of the posting window.  There, you will put in keywords; anything that relates to the blog.  For instance, I will be putting the words "Successful Blog Posts" and, "How to write a successful blog", and "Good Blogs" and, "H-tags" etc., etc.  Any key words in my post.

If you want a successful blog, your going to have to do homework, not only on the subject of which your writing, but on the specific blogging website you are using, and certain "Google tricks" like the ones I've shown above.

Here's a guy named Matthew Winn who has a few really good video tips for you guys as well.  Check it out!

Monetizing Your Blog

If you're looking to make your blog successful in the way of making money (monetizing your blog), then there are lots of ways to do this.  I'm just starting my research in this area, but I've found that once you put in the time and effort, it can be a great way to "supplement your income", as a teacher of mine would say. 

There is something called AdSense which is where you allow Google to insert advertisements on your blog page, and then every time an ad is clicked on, or something is bought, you receive a certain amount of money, or a certain percentage of the sale.  There are a lot of other things you can do, like inserting specific web site's advertisements, or commercials.  You can also insert an Amazon tab to your blog.  There are tons of ways to do this, and I'm excited to learn more about it.

One thing's for sure though.  If you want to have a successful blog, you're going to have to care, and you're going to have to spend a little time and effort into making it that way.  Just like everything else in life.  For some people, it's worth it 100 times over.  For others...not so much.  I believe it's going to be worth it for me, and I can't wait to find out for sure!

The 10 Best Jobs, and What Makes Them the Best

This week someone asked me what I think the 10 best jobs are.

  And when you think about it, 'best' could have a completely different meaning to one person than it does to another.

Best: The most fun?
Best: The easiest?
Best: The most challenging?
Best: The most variety?

I read about a man, Ben Southall who was selected as a Paradise Island Caretaker.  A 6 month job that paid $111,000.  His requirements?  Lay in the sun, explore, swim, snorkel, try out the beach-side barebeques and so on.  Basically, Ben was being paid buku bucks for having the best vacation imaginable.  Now he has to live on this tropical Australian island rent free in a 3 bedroom villa, complete with a pool.  Poor guy, huh?

And what about Roisin Madigan, age 22, who was paid over $1,500 to test out luxury beds for a month?  Can't feel too sorry for people like that.

There are all kinds of cases of people who acheived some of the 'best' jobs.  A 12 year old was appointed the Official Candy Taster for The Derby Firm, a candy production company; Quite a few people are employed as testers for video games such as World of Warcraft and Black Ops.  Oh, and it's just impossible to ignore the 29 year old Tommy Lynch who works for First Choice, testing waterslides in countries all over the world. 

You see, there are a lot of jobs that would be described as "great!" by many, but are they really the best?  These jobs are all nice, but most of them don't really last, and a few of them don't allow much time for being home with the family...but what if you don't have a family?  'Best' will always depend on your situation and lifestyle. 

However, I think there is one thing that most people can agree on: Salary is key.  I agree that doing something you can enjoy is important, but when I hear "10 Best Jobs", I automatically think of the 10 highest paying jobs.  In this economy money is, unfortunately, becoming more and more important to people all over the place.  In some cases, it's becoming much too important than it really should.  Nonetheless, in a general view; an accross-the-board perspective, I would consider best to mean the highest paying.  So here they are:

The 10 Best Jobs Out There!

#10- Psychiatrists.  Yep, that's right.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, A psychiatrist's average annual income is $163, 660.  Well...that would be nice.

#9- Chief executive officers.  These people are in charge of a company.  They run the whole business, and while their salary depends on what kind of business they take care of, they can do very well; some of their annual salaries totaling up to $167,280. 

#8- Next in line is Family and General Practitioners.  They're rolling in the dough with their average annual salary being upwards of $160,530. 

#7- Physicians and Surgeons, All Other.  What's 'All Other' mean?  That's what I asked at first, but it's simple.  It's any surgeon or physician that doesn't fall under the main category of expertise. Any non General Physicial or Surgeon.  These guys are making, on average, $173,860 per year.

#6- Internists, General.  Oh my soul!  These internists are makin' an annual average of $183,990.  And by the way, a General Internist is someone that treats people who have diseases and sicknesses that can't be fixed by surgery.

#5- Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Now we've passed the two-hundred thousand dollar mark!  Obstetricians/Gynecologists make an average of $204,470 per year.  Sheesh!

#4- Orthodontists!  Hmmm...I wouldn't consider most orthodontists to be in my good graces after my horrifying orthodontic experience, but props to them for making an annual average of $206,190 per year... just a couple thousand more than the OB/Gyn's.

#3- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.  Sounds a little scary to me, but they've got the third highest paying job in the country, making $210,710 per year on average.  That's just impressive no matter which way you look at it.

#2- We're almost at the highest paying job in the country!  Anesthesiologists have got the number 2 spot though, with a whopping salary of $211,750 per year!

And Finally: The Highest Paying Job in The United States!

#1- Can you guess??? Yes! Congratulations to General Surgeons for bringing home the most bacon!!  They bring in a mind-blowing $219,770 every year.  Amazing.

Now I don't know how much any of these people enjoy their jobs or what they do, but I do give them a pat on the back for working hard; no matter what they do now they had to go through a lot of school to get there. So, if you don't mind school or using your brain, I would suggest any one of these 10 jobs in order to bring home the most money.   For me, I don't think I would enjoy any of these things enough to through college for it, but if you do...congrats! :)

Dear Indiana...

Boring Indiana

When I tell people I live in Indiana the most common reaction I get is a look of sympathy.  I know what they're thinking. 

"HOOSIER!!! Man, that stinks.  Indiana is the most boring state in the country."

Then I watch them take an extended blink...which is actually them closing their eyes, offering up a prayer of thanksgiving that they are spared from the monotonous drudgery of Indiana-living.
You know, I don't really blame them.   My house is surrounded by...you guessed it!  Cornfields! And MORE Cornfields!

 Sometimes I hear my friends talking about their adventures in downtown Chicago, or their great, shark-fishing times in Florida, and I hear them talk about how great the food, fun and football is in Alabama. I visit my relatives in West Virginia.  It's always exciting to experience what I call, "true, downhome, hillbilly hickness"  We come back with an accent for a day or so before we remember what the real world is like.  Anyway, I got to thinking, and couldn't think of a single great thing about Indiana.  Maybe it really is as awful as people think.  So I did a little work.  I took it upon myself to do some research.  Turns out, Indiana's not that bad!  There are some amazing things that happened, and continue to happen in  as I type.

So here is my list of 10 interesting facts about Indiana.  I had planned on writing the "10 most interesting facts about Indiana", but that proved too difficult.  So here it is.  Enjoy!

Interesting Indiana

#1- Edward R. Sitzman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio where he studied Art.  He later moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and became a reknowned watercolor painter.  He was a member of the Indiana Art Club and the Indianapolis Art Association.  His work is beautiful.  A couple years ago, my grandfather was garbage picking (a usually unfortunate hobby of his)  and he found this dirty old picture in a beat up picture frame.  He thought it would look nice in our house along with the wooden Indians, flourescent pieces of furniture and numerous, half-broken toys that have graced our home since he began this hobby.  So he brought it to us.  Mom actually thought it looked relatively nice, so she hung it on the wall in a corner of our laundry room.
  A few months later, she was reading a column in the paper about a man named E.R, Sitzman, born in 1874, died in 1949.  Mom thought the name was familiar, but couldn't place it.  Not until two days later, that is, when she was throwing in a load of laundry.  There, in the bottom right corner of the painting was his signature.  So Mom took it upstairs and did a little research.  She talked to a collector of his work, and he offered to buy it for $300 dollars. It would be worth more if the frame was in better shape.  But my mother, happy to have something of actual value decided to keep it.  She moved it though, to the center of our living room wall.  I don't think it deserves the spot, but there's no arguing with her on the subject. 
It is a nice painting, and we don't complain too much about Grandpa digging in other people's trash anymore.

#2 We have Shipshewana!  Shipshewana, Indiana is such a great place to go.  It's Amish country and holds a huge flea market and auction.  There's beautiful bed and breakfasts, buggy tours, a gorgeous carousel with hand carved farm animals, and many, many other things to do.  I've been there one time a few years ago, and it was some of the best fun I've ever had.  The smell of the dirt underfoot and the different foods cooking, the kind smiles of the Amish and Mennonite people, with long beards and black hats the bustling people buying and selling their wares...it all makes for a great weekend getaway. 

#3 Indiana is the 'Crossroads of America'! Our motto was adopted in the 1930's after J. Roy Strickland ran a column in the Evansville Courier & Press stating that Indiana had no real motto, as many other states did.  He offered up several suggestions to the Indiana General Assembly as well as took requests from people all over the state.  He took every suggestion and put them in folder-form with the name and address of the person who submitted the entry, and provided them to the Indiana General Assembly as well.  After a little while, they decided on 'The Crossroads of America'.

The Indiana Department of Administration states:

"'The Crossroads of America' signifies the importance of waterways, railroads, highways and other transportation facilities in the state, viewed by many as some of the finest in the nation."

#4 We have a town called Santa Claus!
I feel badly for the residents and post office there around Christmas time.  They get over one-half million letters and requests every year at christmas time.    The town, originally found by German settlers, went nameless for many years until, finally, it was named Santa Claus on Christmas Eve in 1852.  It's a charming story that you can read about here.

#5 "On the Banks of Wabash, Far Away", by Paul Dresser is Indiana's state song.  How cool is that?  As soon as I found that information I ran to YouTube and listened to it.
Here's a version I found.  Give it a listen, and tell me what you think.

#6 There's an old town called Crown Point about 10 minutes from where I live.  It's a neat old place with a courthouse and an old movie theater where they play couple movies every week for 3 dollars.  The courthouse is where The filmed the movie 'Public Enemies', the story of John Dillinger starring Johnny Depp.  Hundreds of people flocked to the courthouse every day they were here to try and get a glimpse of Johnny Depp, or shake his hand or get an autograph.  People waited out there for hours sometimes.  I don't really think it was worth it, but maybe it was to some people.

#7 Lots of Interesting People were born in Indiana.  We're not all toothless, hillbillies with no edumacation.  People such as David Letterman, Steve McQueen, John Mellencamp, Clifton Webb, Michael Jackson, Larry Bird, and Gregory Kinnear were all some form of hoosier or another, just to name a few.  It gives me hope that I might have an interesting future one day. :)

#8 Indiana has a lot of awesome beaches!  There are so many places to go beaching here in Indiana.  Indiana Dunes has 3 miles of shoreline and sand dunes with really nice camping to boot. There's biking, swimming, hiking, and nature centers and they're open all year!  My family has gone there numbers of times and had a blast!  We've also got the Gary Indiana Air Show that comes around every year in July.  We sit on the beach and watch all kinds of fascinating trick planes, and U.S. Airforce jets go by, including the USAF Thunderbirds, which are my favorite!

#9 We love our Indy 500!  Actually, I don't.  Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the home of the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400.  It's a huge attraction. I must say I didn't really get it.  Watching NASCAR can make me want to kill myself sometimes.  It seems so boring and pointless.  Just watch a bunch of cars drive in circles for a couple hours...fun? What fun?  But then, a friend convinced me to go with her and we had more fun than I can ever remember having before that.  Even I, a racing skeptic, couldn't help but to be swallowed up in everyone else's excitement before the race started.  Sitting in the stands with a good ol' hot dog and some coke, the place was just buzzing.  Literally and Figuratively.  Then the race started and it wasn't buzzing anymore...it was roaring.  The cars are so loud and they go so fast it's captivating.  I've never been in that kind of atmosphere before, but I must say, that even if watching it on television seems awful to me, being there in person was a whole 'nother thing.  I hope you get a chance to try it sometime!

I love Indiana

#10  Last, and probably least, I live here.  I live in Cedar Lake, Indiana (sometimes called Cedartucky).  It really is a beautiful place.  I love the country.  Sometimes I complain about the cornfields, or the pig farm a mile down from our house, but it's home, and it always will be.  There's absolutely nothing like watching the sunset on the golden cornstalks in autumn.   There's absolutely nothing like walking into the Casey's gas station a mile in town and knowing the clerks by name.  There's nothing like swimming in the lake on a hot summer day, even if some would call me brave to go near that water (it's really not as gross as people make it out to be).  Even though the pig farm smells pretty bad when the wind blows just right, it's beautiful in it's own way and adds an interesting piece to the landscape.  I have more memories than I can count of playing in the green cornfield's and having hide-outs in them.  Even though some call Indiana boring, it clearly is not, and I'd love it even if it were. 

I'm Homeschooled and I love It

Homeschooling benefits?

Yep, that's right.  I'm a senior in Highschool and I'm homeschooled.  I really wouldn't have it any other way, though.   I have to deal with a lot of flak because of it, but I couldn't care less because I've had so many great opportunites.

There's so many benefits, I couldn't name them all.  And the great thing is that those benefits change depending on what kind of life, and students you have.

One of the biggest benefits is that the parents have control about what their children learn, and when they learn it.  For example, my parents can teach me what they believe about the creation of the world primarily, and then teach me about the opposing evolution views, and why they might be right or wrong.  Another example, I give better results in English and writing/speech homework than I do with math or science.  If I need to go at a slower or quicker pace than my 'grade level', it's no problem. 

Homeschooling advantages?

There are tons, and tons of advantages.   From all the people I've talked to about the subject, I've noticed that a lot of people would never want to be homeschooled because of the supposed 'lack of opportunity' 

"Oh my goodness! How do you live without prom and homecoming?  I would just die!!"

Or, "But you don't get to play sports!"

Or, "But you don't get to meet people!"

I don't get to meet people?  Seriously?  Actually, I do go to prom.  We host them for homeschoolers, too.  I play volleyball, and my brothes play basketball and take mixed martial arts.  Finding friends has never been a problem for me.

Homeschooling = flexibility

The beautiful thing about homeschooling is that you're flexible.  We can do so many things that Public and Private school students can't.  We can get a job and work during the day and do school at night.  We can do all sorts of projects and sign up for things that others can't because they would be in school.  There is absolutely no lack of extra curricular activities for us to do.  We can take vacations in February if we want.  We can do school in the car, at the park, on our trampoline, and wherever we want.  We can get other homeschoolers together and take field trips based on our personal interests.  It's definitely not the problem most people make it out to be.

It's really been a great experience for me to be homeschooled and I'm so thankful my parents made the decision and sacrifice to educate my brothers and I at home.  I believe it's made me into a better person.

Organization Blow Up!

Get Organized???

One word:  FAILURE.



Yeah.  This week hasn't gone very well.  As in, at all.



I've been late to half the places I've gone, I haven't worked out a SINLGE time since last Monday.  Not yesterday, 7 days before yesterday.  My room's a disaster and so's my car.  I'm trying to figure out what exactly happened, because last week I felt like I was really getting into this.



The only excuse I can come up with is that I'm disgustingly sick.  Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, painful breathing... the whole shabang.  I can't really use that for much of an excuse, though, since it's only been that bad for the last couple days.



Anyway, I've been pretty mad at myself for doing such a bad job; for not following through.  At the same time, I've just been completely avoiding any thought of organization.  That's what I do, you know.  If I'm behind on something, or not working on a job I should be, I tend to completely push it out of my mind, because that way I don't feel overwhelmed or guilty.    It's the most awful way to deal with a problem.  It's weak, really. 



These are all the things running through my mind this last week, but today I came upon a comforting and startlingly true thought.   It's okay!  Changing my ways, and making a big lifestyle change, such as getting organized, is a really big project.  It's hard for me, and to be honest, I was a little nervous about starting this thing.  I still am.  So, I miss a week.  So what?  I'm still motivated, I still want to 'clean up' my ways, and I will.  I just took a week off. 



I'll be alright.



Here's the deal though, I'm not even going to try to do anything 'til I feel better.  This sickness, and a certain snowstorm outside, is keeping me in the house for a couple days.  I'll accept that.  It gives me more time for thinkin' and research, anyway.



Keep checking in.  I'm hopeful I'll have my act together soon.  :)

A Few Organizing Ideas

Reigning in My Thoughts!

So many things have gone through my mind this week.  I've tried to write most of them down, but when I want to look them over later, I can't seem to find the myriad of pieces of scrap paper strewn around the house.  So, I started something new.  I put little legal pads all over.  I have 4 telephone bases around my house.  So I put one by each of them.  I also have one on my night stand, in the console of my car, and in my purse.  So, pretty much wherever I am, I have some paper available.  I started that at the end of last week, but that posed a brand new problem. WHERE IS A PEN?!?!  I have millions around my house, I know I do.  So where do they all go?? 

I've solved that problem thanks to a woman named Carol Barnier.  She is the author of If I'm diapering a Watermelon, Then Where'd I Leave the Baby?.  It's a book geared toward the "Highly Distractible Mom".  While I'm not a mom, I would definitely say I'm highly distractible, and I've found a few really helpful things in her book.  One thing she mentions is her 'tethering' method.  She loses things like scissors, staplers, calculators, tweezers, and hairbrushes.  So, she ties them to whatever surface she uses them at.  The tweezers are tied to her bathroom mirror, the calculator is tied to the surface she uses to work on bills, etc, etc. 

So, I've taken her idea and tied pens to my legal pads using a little piece of string.  This has been a miracle so far!  Then, when I'm ready to look over my ideas of the week, I go around and rip off the first page of notes, and staple them all together.  I'm putting these stacks of paper in a pile on my dresser.  Actually, I'm putting the stacks on top of clothes, on top of dishes on top of jewelry on top of my dresser.  But that's a project for another week.

A Packed Schedule

This week I've added another big thing to my schedule.  I've joined a drama group called Stage Right Players.  We're doing a play called Flowers for Algernon.  This is going to take up at least 7 more hours per week, including drive time.  My mother and I have also started working out 5 days a week.  AND I've agreed to make dinner for the family every Wednesday.  I thought I must be completely off my rocker to start 3 new projects when I can hardly keep up with what I'm doing already, but then this little voice told me that maybe it's a good thing.  Maybe it can force me to get my act together.  Kind of like, when you can't seem to get your house clean, you invite company over, and make yourself get it done.

Major Time Management

Whether that is true or not, I'm definitely gonna have to crack down on my time management.  So, I've adopted a calendar.  I keep it with me and write down every appointment, obligation, and thing that I have to remember.  Every night before bed, I check it and see what I have to do in the morning.  That way I don't wake up at 7:30 and realize my chiropractor appointment was at 7:15.  That happens to me a lot.

Now, I'm just working on being consistent with the things I've started.  And I'm still trying to get all the junk out of my car. Some days, it only comes down to Laziness Vs. Diligence. 

It's a lot of work, but this little blog-friend of mine is holding me accountable.  

Alright, I'm off to workout...twice.  I didn't do it yesterday.  Go figure.

I'm WAY ahead of you!

Ugh. Today has been crazy...and awful.  
Progression: I was a few minutes early to my chiropractor appointment.
               I was on time dropping my brother off at his appointment.
               I cleaned a bunch of things out of my car.
               I made the time to pack myself a dinner, instead of buying food.






Regression: I made a total mess of the bathroom counter while I was getting ready, and left it there.
                  I left some garbage in my car (two steps forward, one step back, right?)
                  I left every single cabinet door wide open in my kitchen while I was looking for something.
                  Finally, I was lectured on my state of disorganization. ......


That last point is in the 'regression' column for a good reason.  Tell me if any of you know what I'm talking about in the following scenario.


You have a problem.  You decide to fix that problem all on your own.  You're determined, and feeling great about the project at hand.  This can be cleaning a dirty bathroom, renewing your license, attacking personal character faults, or starting a project to organize yourself.   Then somebody decides to come along and TELL you to do it.  They TELL you that there's a problem, and TELL you the best way they think it should be fixed.


Result?   Immediate loss of all determination and motivation previously held.


Maybe you're not like that, but I am, and this is what happened to me tonight.  As of this minute, getting organized is the very last thing I want to do. I'm crabby and frustrated because all the negative points about everything I do have been brought up and smashed in my face.


Despite my obstinacy, I've decided to keep going.  I will do my best to ignore what I heard tonight, and focus on the job at hand.  I thank this blog for that decision.  This just might be my key to success.


Wish me luck!!

Project Organize!

I Need Organization Help!

Most days, when I look around, it seems that everybody's got their life together.  They're organized, efficient, and on time.  Their rooms are clean, their work is on-track and their ducks in a row.  Basically, the polar opposite of me.  I am the most disorganized person I know with the possible exception of my mother.  I'm always arriving late, my work is constantly being turned in either last-second, or after the last second, and my room looks like New Orleans after Katrina.

Every once in a while I see small glimmers of hope.  I'll show up to an appointment 5 minutes early, or have my work done a day before the deadline, but these occurrances are few and far between.

A Disorganized Mind, Too.

One thing I enjoy is writing.  I love it, but I never seem to fit it in when I'd like to.  Sometimes I'll be working and an idea will pop into my head; something I think is really interesting.  I always forget though, and never get to form the thought fully, and then it slips away for good.


It has got to stop.  I need to get on track, and start making the most of my time and talents.  I'm wasting the things I've been given, and I'm going to change that, starting today.

A Plan to Get Organized

So I've decided something.  I need something else to hold me accountable.  I'm going to use this blog as a tool to keep me on track, and organized.  I'm going to use it to make sure I don't let those ideas of mine slip away.   So here's the deal:  At least every Wednesday, I'm going to write a post.  I'll tell the adventures of being unorganized and scatter-brained.  I'll show the details of my quest to become more put-together, and prove that even while I'm not, crazy people can have good ideas, too.

Keep checking in! There will definitely be a new post up Wednesday, if not before then. 

I can't wait to get started on this adventure of mine!