I'm better now

Shew.. what a week.. feels like Friday and I keep having mini panic attacks (not really), but it's only Wednesday. I'm feeling better about things. Taking it day by day! :)

So I'm off.. to kill a bunch of trees.. yes call me a murderer if you must.. but training must happen and we aren't advanced yet to not need handouts!!

AHHH AHHH AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....

Well, today was another beautiful day of getting NOTHING DONE..

this sucks!!

I have a crap ton (my new phrase) to do and can't seem to get any of it done without someone interrupting me or getting more CRAP thrown on..

Today my director met with the President.. who wants us to to plan a bunch of freaking large scale programs for the first two weeks of school.. this information would have been nice TWO MONTHS AGO... now we are going to have a bunch of programs thrown together at the last minute... ON TOP OF THE REST OF THE CRAP I HAVE TO DO... GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

It's frustrating because I've been working hard to change things and getting road block after road block.. suggested things to be told no.. only two weeks later the idea was suddenly our asst vp's and now we're doing it... it's just frustrating.. especially to get this much work thrown on us three days before training starts... so now we are asking our staff to go from 8am - midnight for three weeks straight without a day off... and our pro staff to go a month and a half straight without time off... GRRR

Ok, now that I've got that out of my system... below is a license plate I saw last night.. it's AWESOME!!!

Movies I liked

So I was asked what movies I've liked recently... here's a run down... in no particular order...

Eagle Eye was pretty good

Bedtime Stories was cute, Role Models was surprisingly decent -- not as raunchy as I expected, Yes Man had a good theme and was decent

Burn After Reading was good, but I don't know if I liked it so much because of the movie and the surprising plot twists or the fact that Brad Pitt randomly gets jacked in the face...

I was forced to watch Momma Mia twice in one night during Girls weekend... not that it isn't a good movie, but twice in one night is too much for almost ANY movie...

I Love You Man, was funny I liked it a lot
Forgetting Sarah Marshall was pretty good too if a little sexually explicit in some places.. but in an extremely pee-your-pants-funny kind of way

He's Just Not That In To You was really good for a chick flick -- not my favorite Genre but every now and then... I AM a girl after all...

The Hangover was FReAKING HILARIOUS, but in a "I know people who that would really happen to" kind of way, not the normal stupid funny-Will Ferrell kind of way...

Penelope was good in that no-sex-no-violence-a-good-message-for-the-kiddies kind of way -- it's not a cartoon.. just a sweet movie

Funny Face was good -- Yes my tastes are eclectic -- I love everything... I had not seen that, but Roman Holiday is still my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie...

but I think my favorite recent movie is Swing Vote.. GREAT movie... every American should have been required to watch it prior to the past election because it really brings home the importance of casting an INFORMED vote... and listening to both sides openly but with caution toward the media and the hype.. but then again.. not the American way to force people to make good decisions or care about their country... still best movie I've seen recently

I don't watch movies that typically win academy awards... mainly because I try to stay away from depressing movies..

those are my thoughts kids.. feel free to share your thoughts and your favorite movies!!

Action Flicks... overall - not a fan

So I went to see Transformers tonight. The second one. I saw the first one a couple of weeks ago on DVD and it was good so i thought, "what the heck, it's only $5."

I realized something tonight...

I'm not a fan of the action flick. Love the suspense flick. Love the comedies. Love t he romantic comedies. Love the dramas. Even love the occasional sci fi.. but not a fan of the pure action flick.

Transformers had great potential ruined by too much attention to the special effects. The fight scenes could have been cut in half and they could have extended the plot, added suspense, and even deepened the romance between the leads... but no, the producers decided to extend the fight scenes instead of the plot.. disappointing. So I realize that I don't care about special effects.. when I was yawning and bored during the fight scenes, you know there's an issue... I need more plot.. I don't mind action.. lots of action if I have to think through it.. but if it's just for show I start getting angry...

And Shia LaBeouf --- not believable as an 18 year old... which is strange because he's really only like 23... but I still didn't believe him as 18... but the again.. as someone who works with 18 year olds on a daily basis I'd have a more critical eye than most...

So give me the action/suspense and I'm happy, but save the fight scenes for someone else...

Slightly Extremely Overwhelmed...

So, have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you couldn't form a coherent thought?

I'm about one step away from that, in fact this blog may be my last thought... for the week.

So my office typically has two assistant directors. I'm the Assistant Director for Staff Development and the other is the Assistant Director for Student Development. Basically that means she/he hires them and I train them. Both positions supervise three full time staff members, who in turn supervise three grads each, who in turn supervise anywhere from 5 - 15 undergraduate students each, who in turn are responsible for anywhere from 30 - 150 college students each. In total, we have approximately 3,000 students who live on campus and between the other Assistant Director and myself we are ultimately responsible to the University Administration for all of them. And my job is to ensure that all of the professional, grad, and student staff are properly trained to deal with any and every issue that may crop up over the course of the year. They typically deal with anything from homesickness, to failing grades, to fires, rape, and unfortunately missing or suicidal students. This is my major responsibility along with supervision (supervision is easy, btw). So, to do this we begin training our professional and grad staff on August 1 and our student staff on the 13th. There are 125 staff members total. This is kind of a big undertaking and something I LOVE doing and have always loved doing it. I love the challenge of developing a program that not only gives the information they need, but provides outlets for them to practice new skills in a safe environment and to actually gain life skills out of the deal. Typically, this is my sole responsibility during this part of the year and it works.

Not this year.

The other assistant director left, so now I'm supervising her staff as well as mine, dealing with all of the day to day stuff that she handled so I could get training together, and basically putting out fires. Now it's all me. I haven't accomplished anything at all this week because every time I try to do something, something else crops up that has to be dealt with right then and there. In the process of this, I have to schedule interviews for that position and lead a search.

I'm so strung out it's not funny. During all of this, we will be opening for the school year and my director will be taking prelims for his PhD the two days prior to opening. There will be about a two week time when i will be completely on my own... I'm not going to lie the stress may bury me...

actually, it won't, I'm fantastic under pressure, but i don't like it... some people say they work better under stress... that's a lie.. no one works better under stress -- they just lack motivation unless the deadline is looming... I hate working under stress, but am very good at it... not my best, but decent. Basically because i know at some point I will come to the realization that there is only so much I can do and the rest will have to wait or fall off... I just haven't yet decided where that boundary lies...

wish me luck.. I enjoy blogging so I'll keep you updated... :)

Pub, how I love thee, let me count the ways....

Now most people would think that pledging their love to a bar precludes substance abuse treatment... for some it may, but let me put it into terms you can understand...

Remember the TV show Cheers? Pub is my Cheers if Cheers was a piano bar with a hot piano player who not only knows my name, but every song I love and plays them all for me when I come to town.. plus he gets excited to see me.. :)

The piano player is Frank.

Three years ago we started going to Pub on Wednesday nights because I had a crush on one of the piano players -- Frank. Now it wasn't really a crush because at the time I knew nothing about him other than he was charismatic and adorable and could play the piano. Over time we got to know him and he really is a cool guy and I became a huge fan. I didn't really expect him to remember me or anything. I mean he sees thousands of girls a week at the bar and 99% of them are better looking, but he did remember me and he began learning the songs I like and learning new Billy Joel songs for me. SO when i go back he's excited to see me and makes me feel really special. This past time was no different...

Erica had called to see when i was coming so she could get a sitter so we could go to Pub. So when I get to town we get ready and head to Pub. Erica and Marty haven't been in a while and it's been since the beginning of April since I've been there... so we weren't even sure if Frank still worked there, but we only go because of him -- the rest of the players suck now all the other good ones left. anyway so we get to Pub and Frank isn't there so we were worried.. but we ordered dinner and waited. Patrick and Ryan were playing (Patrick is former Army but an asshole and Ryan looks 12) but we ask Ryan if Frank is coming and he said that he was on his way.

So we're there for about a half hour when Frank walks in the front door... as he walks through the doors he see us and greets us excitedly and after putting his stuff down comes over and gives hugs. He then goes off to do stuff and says he'll be back. He didn't really come back, but when he got to the piano the first thing he did was say, "Steph, I hope I don't totally butcher this" and then he played Innocent Man by Billy Joel for me. back when I lived up there I told him he should learn it because it's my favorite song -- he did. :) So he proceeds to play all of my favorite songs including billy joel and Pearl Jam songs among others. I had a great night. I always have a great night at pub.

So Thursday I log into my facebook and have a message from Frank apologizing for not coming back to the table... how sweet is that!!

Now, to understand how cool this is to me.. I'm a FAN of his.. he has a CD which I wake up to every day and I listen to it when I get homesick for Ypsi. It's really good. :) So being a Fan, it's totally awesome that he knows who I am... can you imagine someone whom you're a huge fan of who knows your name and whatnot??

So, needless to say one night at Pub while in Michigan for four nights is not enough. I mean we used to go weekly and that was my major stress relief -- Terre Haute has NOTHING like this... so I convince Gundick and Gary to go with me on Friday night because since Erica and Marty have a kid, I know they probably aren't going to want to go again (that's totally reasonable). So I head there with the boys. We get there at about 10pm and Frank is at the piano with his back to us. We sit down and he sees us a bit later and stops what he's saying to say hi. Then when he finished his set he comes over and sits down with us (after hugs and a kiss :) ) . We got to catch up and he's got some great things going on. I'm excited for him and told him that when he made it famous i was telling everyone we were BFFs. He laughed and said ok. :)

So it was a good night. It was a good Pub visit! :)

So, I'm not really obsessed with this guy, but he makes a big deal that we are there and always makes sure to come over and talk to us and catch up like we matter. I'm a fan for life because of that! :)

Of course when Frank leaves Pub will cease to exist to me...

It was a good night...

Back from Vacation

Well, I did it! I finally took a week vacation during a week that the office was open and went somewhere besides my parents house. What exotic destination did I make it to this summer? Well, if you followed my twitter or facebook posts you'd know it wasn't really somewhere exotic, but someplace just as therapeutic to my soul. I went to Ypsi, MI -- my second home. I went to visit Erica, Marty, and Maverick Cooper -- some of the best friends a girl could have. Well, vacation didn't start there.. I need to back up a couple of days.

Friday, July 10th -- Threw a Game night party with Bourbon Slush. MMM.... Only three of my friends showed up (I invited something like 19 people), but I wasn't offended because Ben's brother showed up with three of his friends (Ben's brother is adorable for a child of 25). Since no one was there we decided to go to the St Benedict's Festival and watch a band called "Dave and Ray." They happen to be the same band that my friend from home Tracey was friends with, so i knew who they were. We drank lots of beer -- too much -- so much that Ben was outgoing and actually dancing... Ben doesn't dance. He was actually dancing ON STAGE.. and for an introvert to dance on stage -- well he had a lot of beer. I didn't have that much. It was fun, except the part where Christy's brother's ex-girlfriend turned in to a raving lunatic and I was afraid one of the boys was going to punch her (and if they didn't I would have -- if I had violent tendencies, which I don't so basically I would have verbally lashed her and made her curl up in a ball and cry -- I did neither of these things, I was dancing). Then they conned me into going to the Bally -- ewwww. We weren't there long -- only long enough for Adam to buy me a Heineken -- which I learned that even drunk I do not like Heineken -- tastes what I imagine skunk piss would taste like.

Saturday, July 11th: Hung over from all the beer. Finished laundry for my trip.

Sunday, July 12th: Slept in then drove to the folks with Miss Sassy Pants.

Monday, July 13th and Tuesday, July 14th: Relaxed at the folks.

Wednesday, July 15th: Drove to Michigan -- left Sassy with my parents. Was so good to see Erica and Marty and their adorable Maverick. The only things I really miss in Michigan are Erica, Marty, and Pub 13 (yes it's sad that I miss a bar) but i don't really miss the bar I miss how the people in the bar make me feel and how the live music makes me feel. That was the best darn stress relief. Anyway, got to Erica's and got to play with little Mav for a couple of hours. he's the happiest little guy in the world. I LOVE that kid. He's 7 mos I think and I just adore him. Erica had a sitter for the night so we could go to Pub (as per tradition). Was a blast - more on that in a later post.

Thursday, July 16th: Lunch on campus, visited Barnaby, sat outside, went golfing (More on this in later post too), did some life coaching...

Friday, July 17th: Lunch off campus with Erica and Meredith, read a book and relaxed on patio, dinner with Gundick, saw Gundick's apartment and new puppy, Pub with Gundick and Gary, up all night with Marty trying to get Maverick back to sleep (more on this in a later post)

Saturday, July 18th: Detroit Zoo, relaxing at the homestead and the best damn cheese steak hoagie in the world.

Sunday, July 19th: Drove to my folks for dinner and to pick up Sassy, drove home.

Am now home. I will give more details on my fantastic week later. Suffice to say I had a blast, got to spend tons of time with the Coopers, got several kisses -- some even a bit sloppy -- from my Piano Man, Frank, got to see some good friends, good food, lots of laughter. I am now ready to face training and the month of August!!

I already miss them...

Ooopps I fell...

So, I'm something of a klutz...

In the winter it's kind of a big problem..

In the summer, you wouldn't expect it to be such an issue...

Enter Steph... well, not really enter.. try to enter...

So I fell in Walmart yesterday. Well, to say I fell IN walmart is kind of misleading.. No, when I fall, I do it right.

So it had been raining all day and the genius I am, decided to wear flip flops for my brief trip to the Walmart, right? I'm minding my own business and walk in the door... well I failed to consider the slateish flooring in the Walmart... So I slipped.. half in and half out fo the front door to the food section of walmart...

Leave it to me to find the single most embarassing place to fall down.. and then, because of the flooring I still can't get up. It doesn't cross my mind to take off my shoes.. I'm just trying to get up as quickly as possible, because let's face it.. fat girl falling for no reason in July.. probably the funniest thing you'd ever see... Finally i get up and the walmart greeter comes out to see if I'm ok.. I blow it off but really i probably could have sued because there was no sign or rug or anything...

I'm sore to day.. and couldn't figure out why and then I remembered the humiliating incident in Walmart front door... SIGH..

Fireworks

Call me unAmerican, but I hate fire works. It's not so much the fire works, but the idiots who come with them. Every fourth of July we all get hyped up for this light show and I'll give it to you -- it can be neat, especially when paired with music -- but then the idiots crawl out of the wood work and make me want to go on a rampage... I don't trust any of these idiots and am terrified that they are going to shoot one off and it's going to fly into my house and start a fire. Plus they were outside setting them off until 2am and tonight, it's 11:30 and I have to work tomorrow and theya re still going strong. I want to strangle someone, only there are too many to strangle and my arms would get tired... AHHHH

I'm a little tense tonight... doesn't help that poor sassy is terrified and may have a heart attack if it doesn't stop.