Sunday, June 29, 2008

What's Your Junk?

My Junk is a song in the Broadway hit Spring Awakening. But I'm not talking about that kind of junk. This week I had to clean some space by the side of my house to allow the cable get to get to part of the wall and I removed:

  • 2 wooden ladders
  • 2 crab pots
  • 2 lobster pots
  • an old bicycle
  • an old motorcycle
  • various pieces of wood, pipe and terra cotta pots
Then today I had to help my brother clear at the garage a bit so we could get our camper out for our weekend camping trip next weekend for 4th of July and we removed:
  • a bag full of roller blades
  • various old back packs
  • old projects from my mom's old business
  • my dad's old weight set
Minus the roller blades which I was pretty excited to find. I'm pretty sure we are never going to use any of these things ever again. And I find myself wondering...why are they still here?

So my question to you is, what's your junk? And why do you still keep it?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

1st Real Interview!

Tomorrow I have my first real interview for my post-college marketing career search. Super excited but a little nervous. I called the schedule my interview today and was expecting to say they were busy for two weeks or something and instead I got, "can you come in tomorrow at 1:30?" I'm super excited about having the chance to interview at this company. So wish me luck!

Things To Do:
  1. Print out a couple copies of my resume
  2. Print out my emails about the job
  3. Print out a couple copies of my list of references
  4. Find my Bentley Alumni notebook
  5. Find my portfolio
  6. Figure out/lay out my outfit for tomorrow

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Swim Suit Stress

Sometimes I amaze myself about how stressed out I get over little things.

My current stressor is finding swim suits for lifeguarding this summer and Houseboat Camp. After investigating my current stock of swim suits I realized I need about three new swim suits. 1 more for work and 2 for Houseboat camp.

Today my mom and I went to Nordstrom Rack and the Nike Employee store. Neither of them have decent swim suits. I'm starting to stress out about spending roughly $90 for three swimsuits.

Here is what I'm looking for:
  • One piece
  • Competition cut
  • Size 30
  • Non-polyester
  • Swim suit
  • With no color preference
That is all. I think I feel better getting that off my chest.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Tides Have Turned


Tomorrow my best friend, Beckie Kruse, is leaving Oregon to go to Auburn for graduate school. For four years I have been leaving her to fly to the East Coast for school and today for the first time I said good-bye to her as she gets ready to fly to the South for school. I know she will have an awesome experience there and she will be in good hands. But as selfish as it sounds: I DON'T WANT HER TO GO! Here are my reasons why:

  1. She has been my Houseboat bunk buddy for the past 3 years.

  2. We both worked at THPRD during the summers/holidays.

  3. We are wakeboard buddies.

  4. Sunset Presbyterian attenders.

  5. She is my "what not to wear"/how to do make up/be a girl go to person.

  6. She gets my sense of humor and understands my thought process.

  7. She orders my Starbucks for me.

  8. Did I mention she was my best friend.

How am I going to survive this summer with out her?

Please pray as she moves, registers for classes, gets settled into work and school. And pray for me as I let go of her. Also, if you want to be my friend and fill my Beckie-less void please let me know. Thanks!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Back to Blogging

My best friend from Bentley, Jade, came to visit me for the past week. Which explains my lack of blogging. We did some pretty cool stuff:
All in all a super busy week! I had a good time showing my friend around town. But I'm ready to get back into the groove of things, working, looking for a "real" job and saving some money!

Monday, June 16, 2008

"Unemployed" College Graduate


So I'm not really unemployed. I'm currently working as a Head Guard at THPRD. A place I have worked on and off for the past six years. I'm not using my hard earned college degree but I am making more than minimum wage. The good thing is I work mornings and nights which gives me 6 hours (12PM-6PM) to look for, apply and interview for "real" post-college jobs. This morning was our first day of summer inservice (so my 6th summer inservice). And as I layed down to fall asleep I had a bit of a mental freak out.


a. I'm a college graduate and I'm still doing the same thing I was doing when I was 15

b. All my friends graduated and got "real" jobs and aren't going to be there.

c. I'm too old to be still doing this.

e. Who am I going to hang out with at work.

d. Etc.


On the plus side:

a. I get way more flexibility with work than anyone else I know.

b. Who wouldn't want to spend their final summer being a super cool lifeguard?

c. Who really needs a "real" job when the economy is so bad? I should be thankful to at least be employed and making $$$.

Monday, June 09, 2008

Playing Hide and Seek with God

During my down time at Wildhorse Canyon this weekend (aka not lifeguarding during free time) I got the chance to listen to an awesome speaker, Bill Paige. Who gave a great example of God. Paige talked about how since he is a grandfather his grandson loves to play hide-and-seek. So while his grandson is counting, Paige hides behind a curtain. And when his grandson comes looking for him, he wants his grandson to find him because that would make his grandson so happy. God is the same way, He wants us to find Him. There is nothing separating us from God but a curtain. But that those who actively seek Him will find Him. And this finding of God is so special. It really brings joy to God heart as well as to the person seeking Him. Just like when Paige's grandson finds him.

I was at Wildhorse lifeguarding for an awesome ministry called First Call Family Ministries. Which supports first responders (firefighters, police, and EMS professionals and their families), while showing them God's love. Here are some statistics about these professionals:
  • Divorce rates as high as 84%
  • Suicide rates can be as high as 6X the national average (there is also a correlation between children of first responders and suicide)
  • Significantly higher levels of alcohol, substance abuse and domestic violence
  • Cynicism, hyper-vigilance, and isolationism become their world
  • On top of putting their own personal safety on the line every day in order to protect and serve our communities

Makes you want to hug the next police officer, firefighter or EMS personal right?

Friday, June 06, 2008

Wildhorse Weekend

This weekend I will be traveling with Dr. Janette Green to Young Life's Wildhorse camp in Antelope, Oregon to work as a lifeguard for a weekend retreat for paramedics, police, firefighters, and various military people. I'll be back Sunday night (hopefully before 5:30PM to watch the Celtics dominate the Lakers in game two of the NBA Championships). Please pray for safe travels and an awesome weekend. I'm really hoping to reconnect with God since things have been a little chaotic with finals, Bahamas, graduation, cross-country roadtrip, and reorganization of my life. Need to get in a new groove and hopefully this weekend will help kick that off.

Monday, June 02, 2008

An Apology Letter

Dear Box of Nail Polish Under my Bathroom Sink,

I am sorry for letting you go to waste. But it is time for me to grow up and realize that it is time to throw you away. Your colors have separated. Your gloppy and dry. Let's be honest. Many of you cost 99 cents when I was in middle school and you chipped away cheaply then. Now 10 years later, you don't have a chance in hell.

My love for you started at an early age. From my mom painting my nails (and my younger brothers, until the other 5 year old boys on his t-ball team made fun of him) to bicycle rides up to the Bethany ACE Hardware store when it was built when I was in 6th grade before it became a Walgreens to buy a new color of Wet-n-Wild every week with my limited savings. Some of you arrived in my box before middle school, hand me downs from my mother in an attempt to keep me out of her own nail polish bag of goodies. Some of you came from presents of family friends who had know idea what to get a crazy tomboy or from close friends who truely understood my passion for nail polish.

I can honestly say I changed the color of my nails more times than the color of my hair in middle school and high school. Which is truely saying somethign. You shined through my odd and ever changing fashion statements. I'm pretty sure I went an entire year in 7th grade with my thumbs always a different shade than the rest of my other fingernails. I will always remember you amazing box of colors.

As I admire each of you individually and remember for the most part the moods and reasons for purchasing each shade. I'm pleading with you to forgive me for letting you all good rotten. I'm still the same girl. I still will have crazy electric colors when I walk into a business meeting. I will still repaint my nails on a monthly if not weekly basis. I still am attracted like a raven to shiny things including glitter nail polish - I swear half of the 50 or so bottles that now sit in the trash had glitter in them. Please forgive me. I had so many plans for us.

But I'm a grow up now. I need nail polish that will withstand the test of time. They can't chip when I'm opening a soda can or impatiently tapping my fingers on a desk. I need strong polish the like woman I am. Yes, the new polish can be blue, or green, or purple. But strong and 99 cent Wet-n-Wild, you can't be that polish to me anymore. Once again, I'm sorry. I truely loved you all. Thank you so much for helping me express my individual personality during middle school. You were such a cheap little blessing to me. And for that I am truely thankful.

Love Always,

jenna

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Sex and the City

This afternoon my mom and I went to see Sex and the City. Really good movie for a chick flick only if you watched and enjoyed the TV series. (That is my review) Is someone who has seen a couple of episodes (not enough to be a fanatic or anything). I did like the throw backs to the TV series. For example (don't worry this isn't a spoiler) when Carrie is trying on old clothes while she is packing she wears the skirt from the opening scenes of the TV show. Stuff like that - I'm sure I missed a whole lot more. But whatever.

The more interesting part (could be seen as more depressing maybe) is that while I was watching the movie I realized how few real good girl friends I actually have. Girls that would drop everything they are doing to help me. I'm super appreciative of the ones I have don't get me wrong. But maybe because we are all graduating from college (or recently been out of college) and are still confused about our own lives or in my case I have good friends here on the West Coast and good friends on the East Coast that aren't connected. I feel a little lost when it comes to girl friends. Kind of sad I know. But when I look at my mom she has had a great group of ladies, who have supported one another through marriages, divorces, pregnancies and teenagers. Some from college and some from when we moved to Oregon and I feel like I don't have that and I wish I did.

Maybe that is my own fault for being a tough, independent, tomboy (probably). But I hope someday, when I'm older I will be able to look back and say "wow, I am lucky."

Going along with this I would like to point out I have amazing guy friends. But it's not the same. And over last summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I went through a whole re-evaluation of my friendships and only wanted to surround myself with those positive people what really wanted what was best for me and not just kids I grew up with. A decision I still stand by.

So my question to all of you is, do you have a Miranda, Samatha, and Charlette? If so, who and how do you support one another?