Having Colin as my best friend and boyfriend.
My job at ZooFriends and my awesome coworkers there, all of whom I consider friends.
My job at the library, and my coworkers/friends there.
The library, with all the free books, DVDs, CDs, and information it offers.
My dad, who lets me live at his house and is a great roommate.
My mom, who takes me on cool vacations, like Disney World.
My sister, who will be a friend I never have to worry about losing contact with.
My friends who live close by and come hang out with me.
My friends who live far away and keep in touch with me.
Having a bachelor's degree.
Not having to be in school, but having the opportunity to go back if I want.
My cousins, more friends I can count on to always be in my life, no matter what.
Facebook, which allows me to easily keep in touch with so many people that I rarely get to see.
Barnes & Noble, for sending me coupons and making it affordable for me to buy gifts for everyone, including myself.
Neil Gaiman, for making the fantasy genre cool and the macabre accessible.
Hulu, which allows me to keep up with my shows when I miss their original air dates.
Hollywood, for providing me with endless hours of entertainment and escape.
Independent filmmakers, for providing me with endless hours of though-provoking and emotionally resonant stories.
All the band directors and music instructors I've ever had, for teaching me how to play, listen, and appreciate music.
Macaroni and cheese, for being the most delicious food ever.
Showing posts with label ZooFriends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ZooFriends. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
I Heart ZooFriends
Last Friday I had my 6 month work review for ZooFriends, and it went really well. It was nice to get a confirmation that I'm doing a good job. We did talk about things I needed to improve on, as well, but many of them are things that I'm already working on anyway. One thing that will be harder for me to do is speak less in the style of "Yeah" and "Uh-huh" and more like "Yes, ma'am" and "Of course, sir." I've never been big on cussing, but my speech in general is very casual. I tend to say "yep," "you guys," "kinda," and use lots of contractions. I really don't use ma'am and sir very often. When talking on the phone, however, I can see why it would be appropriate to use more formal speech, since body language and facial expressions aren't a factor in the conversation. It may take a little time, but I think I can get used to it.
Thinking back on the progress I've made at ZooFriends overall, I realize just how much I've grown with this job. I'm much less shy around strangers than I used to be. I tend to be a bit anxious around people I don't know because I don't like to give bad or wrong impressions, and I hate the thought of people not liking me. Dealing with tons of strangers on a daily basis has helped me realize that there are some people who are just determined to be rude, no matter what the situation is, and there are some people who may seem annoyed, but they're most likely bothered by something going on with them, not by me in particular. In the past, if I had to deal with a rude store clerk or bus driver, it would bother me for a while and I would feel uncomfortable with the thought that the person didn't like me. Now I know that it most likely had nothing to do with me--the person was either in a sour mood because something in her life was stressing her out, or because she was determined to pick a fight, or both. Working for ZooFriends has definitely taught me that many people feel very self-entitled. They expect to get more by giving less, and if they don't get it soon enough, they feel they ought to be compensated. It's really quite ridiculous how little patience so many people have. I used to think I was an impatient person, but compared to these people, I'm like freaking Buddha! It's mind-boggling.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I've gained much more than money and work experience from my job at ZooFriends. My interpersonal skills have sharpened, my anxiety over strangers has lessened, and I'm no longer thrown off-kilter by rudeness. I work really well within my team of coworkers and I consider them all my friends. We are as efficient as possible, which makes me feel constructive, and yet we still have lots of fun, which makes me feel happy!
My overall self-confidence has boosted quite a bit in the last few months, and I'm sure working at ZooFriends as been a large reason for that (another would be Colin). I never before thought I could enjoy a customer service job, but I'm SO glad I found this one!
Thinking back on the progress I've made at ZooFriends overall, I realize just how much I've grown with this job. I'm much less shy around strangers than I used to be. I tend to be a bit anxious around people I don't know because I don't like to give bad or wrong impressions, and I hate the thought of people not liking me. Dealing with tons of strangers on a daily basis has helped me realize that there are some people who are just determined to be rude, no matter what the situation is, and there are some people who may seem annoyed, but they're most likely bothered by something going on with them, not by me in particular. In the past, if I had to deal with a rude store clerk or bus driver, it would bother me for a while and I would feel uncomfortable with the thought that the person didn't like me. Now I know that it most likely had nothing to do with me--the person was either in a sour mood because something in her life was stressing her out, or because she was determined to pick a fight, or both. Working for ZooFriends has definitely taught me that many people feel very self-entitled. They expect to get more by giving less, and if they don't get it soon enough, they feel they ought to be compensated. It's really quite ridiculous how little patience so many people have. I used to think I was an impatient person, but compared to these people, I'm like freaking Buddha! It's mind-boggling.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I've gained much more than money and work experience from my job at ZooFriends. My interpersonal skills have sharpened, my anxiety over strangers has lessened, and I'm no longer thrown off-kilter by rudeness. I work really well within my team of coworkers and I consider them all my friends. We are as efficient as possible, which makes me feel constructive, and yet we still have lots of fun, which makes me feel happy!
My overall self-confidence has boosted quite a bit in the last few months, and I'm sure working at ZooFriends as been a large reason for that (another would be Colin). I never before thought I could enjoy a customer service job, but I'm SO glad I found this one!
Monday, August 1, 2011
It's been a pretty busy weekend.
On Thursday, aunt Nancy came to Edmond on her way down to Abilene. She, my dad, and I went to Old Chicago for dinner (yummy), then went back to my dad's and watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 'cause Nancy had it with her and Dad still hadn't seen it. It was a nice, though short, visit.
Then that night, I went to see Cowboys & Aliens at midnight with Aleithia and Christiana. It was fun! The movie was pretty good. I loved the first half, but the last quarter was less impressive. The plot seemed to wrap itself up a little too easily toward the end, but I still liked it. The story is definitely a great western, with western themes, and the sci-fi element added in is a neat touch. Usually, when those two genres are combined, it's the other way around--sci-fi setting and themes with a western motif added (like in Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, or various episodes of Star Trek and Doctor Who).
The acting in Cowboys & Aliens was superb, and how could it not be with a cast including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Dano? I'm also starting to really like John Favreau as a director. He's racking up quite the list: Elf, Zathura, Iron Man, and now this. I'm glad they kept the campy title for the film, even though the film itself isn't campy at all. It is, after all, based on a comic of the same name. Plus, how much more straightforward can you get? I remember talking with Nancy earlier about how interesting it would be to have Indians & Aliens instead of Cowboys, noting how differently Indians would have reacted to an alien invasion. But, funnily enough, Cowboys & Aliens actually does include Indians (Apaches, specifically) and the film itself notes the difference in reactions. I was really impressed by that! I definitely recommend this film, but I do want to see it again to see if it holds up on a second viewing.
(I slept all afternoon/evening after work on Friday to make up for lost sleep Thursday night.)
Saturday, after work, I went to the Bowling for Rhinos event with other OZS employees at Boulevard Lanes. That was really fun! I hadn't been bowling in a long time, but I actually did fairly well. We were able to squeeze in 3 games, and on my last game I got a 126, which is really good for me! I got around 6 or 7 strikes during the evening and a few spares. It was definitely good practice. My arm was a little sore the next day, too. :P
Sunday was a pretty lazy day, but Dad and I watched 3 episodes of Rescue Me, which I'm borrowing from Colin. I'm really liking this show! It does have more sex in it than I'm usually comfortable with, but the show as a whole is worth it, and those scenes are almost always important to the plot or character development in some way.
Then that night, I went to see Cowboys & Aliens at midnight with Aleithia and Christiana. It was fun! The movie was pretty good. I loved the first half, but the last quarter was less impressive. The plot seemed to wrap itself up a little too easily toward the end, but I still liked it. The story is definitely a great western, with western themes, and the sci-fi element added in is a neat touch. Usually, when those two genres are combined, it's the other way around--sci-fi setting and themes with a western motif added (like in Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, or various episodes of Star Trek and Doctor Who).
The acting in Cowboys & Aliens was superb, and how could it not be with a cast including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Dano? I'm also starting to really like John Favreau as a director. He's racking up quite the list: Elf, Zathura, Iron Man, and now this. I'm glad they kept the campy title for the film, even though the film itself isn't campy at all. It is, after all, based on a comic of the same name. Plus, how much more straightforward can you get? I remember talking with Nancy earlier about how interesting it would be to have Indians & Aliens instead of Cowboys, noting how differently Indians would have reacted to an alien invasion. But, funnily enough, Cowboys & Aliens actually does include Indians (Apaches, specifically) and the film itself notes the difference in reactions. I was really impressed by that! I definitely recommend this film, but I do want to see it again to see if it holds up on a second viewing.
(I slept all afternoon/evening after work on Friday to make up for lost sleep Thursday night.)
Saturday, after work, I went to the Bowling for Rhinos event with other OZS employees at Boulevard Lanes. That was really fun! I hadn't been bowling in a long time, but I actually did fairly well. We were able to squeeze in 3 games, and on my last game I got a 126, which is really good for me! I got around 6 or 7 strikes during the evening and a few spares. It was definitely good practice. My arm was a little sore the next day, too. :P
Sunday was a pretty lazy day, but Dad and I watched 3 episodes of Rescue Me, which I'm borrowing from Colin. I'm really liking this show! It does have more sex in it than I'm usually comfortable with, but the show as a whole is worth it, and those scenes are almost always important to the plot or character development in some way.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thank you letter to Krystal
At the ZooFriends office, each of us was assigned to write a thank you letter to one of our coworkers. Here's mine:
Krystal,
Thank you for being an awesome coworker! You are super nice to everyone, and you're a great team player. If one of us is busy doing something you don't hesitate to help out when customers come in or a line starts forming. I also remember you being a HUGE help to me when I first started, showing me the ropes and giving good little tips. You always help make the work atmosphere fun and relaxed (I love chatting with you when it's not busy), and I really appreciate your giving nature toward customers AND coworkers.
Casey :)
Krystal,
Thank you for being an awesome coworker! You are super nice to everyone, and you're a great team player. If one of us is busy doing something you don't hesitate to help out when customers come in or a line starts forming. I also remember you being a HUGE help to me when I first started, showing me the ropes and giving good little tips. You always help make the work atmosphere fun and relaxed (I love chatting with you when it's not busy), and I really appreciate your giving nature toward customers AND coworkers.
Casey :)
Monday, July 25, 2011
I'm ready for fall.
Just one more week of July and then it's August. Yay! Then just 2 weeks of August and Colin is here in Edmond for a week. Yay! He and I had a good talk on the phone today for about an hour. We talk pretty much every day, but sometimes it's only for 10 minutes, and sometimes we don't have much to say (and sometimes it's a little less than pleasant :P). But today's chat was a good amount of time and just plain fun. I talked about my hair a bit (real interesting, I know), and I've decided to grow it out again. For a while, I was thinking about cutting it even shorter--like more of a pixie cut, but I'm gonna just let it grow. I miss ponytails and braids. 'Course, when my shoulder blades are covered, I'll probably be sick of it and cut it all off again. *shrug*
Today at the ZooFriends office, I was looking at this DC comics preview thing that Steve had. Apparently in a couple months, DC is going to completely revamp all their comics and start over with #1 issues. I was wondering if maybe I should pick one and start reading it. Comics have always interested me, and some of the characters are really fascinating, but I've never really read them. I've watched film and television adaptations, but I've never gone to a store and bought the paper issues. I do tend to prefer Marvel to DC, but since DC is starting everything at the beginning, now would be a good time to jump in. (If I tried to start reading Marvel now, I'd probably get super confused about all the alternate universes and get lost in the middle of complicated story lines.) If money weren't a factor, I'd probably try following multiple comics, but I think I'll just choose one--probably one of the Batman stories.
Here's a really cute picture summary of Harry Potter that Sam K. showed me: http://pics.livejournal.com/lucylou/pic/0012wqx1
Today at the ZooFriends office, I was looking at this DC comics preview thing that Steve had. Apparently in a couple months, DC is going to completely revamp all their comics and start over with #1 issues. I was wondering if maybe I should pick one and start reading it. Comics have always interested me, and some of the characters are really fascinating, but I've never really read them. I've watched film and television adaptations, but I've never gone to a store and bought the paper issues. I do tend to prefer Marvel to DC, but since DC is starting everything at the beginning, now would be a good time to jump in. (If I tried to start reading Marvel now, I'd probably get super confused about all the alternate universes and get lost in the middle of complicated story lines.) If money weren't a factor, I'd probably try following multiple comics, but I think I'll just choose one--probably one of the Batman stories.
Here's a really cute picture summary of Harry Potter that Sam K. showed me: http://pics.livejournal.com/lucylou/pic/0012wqx1
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Planning ahead. It's what I do.
Today at the ZooFriends office, Steve and I talked at some length about Halloween costumes. At dinner last night, Ally had mentioned the Halloween party that she and David throw each year, and we sort of (maybe officially?) decided that the theme this year would be "villains." I like it, especially since it fits what Colin wants to be--the bad guy from Commando. Ally said she would be Bellatrix Lestrange (from Harry Potter), which is awesome. Steve wants to be Bane (from Batman). Allison was toying with Ursula (from The Little Mermaid).
I still need to figure out who to I'm going to be. We talked a bit last night about me being Umbridge (from Harry Potter), but I'm not sure I want to go hunting for pink sweaters and wool skirts. Catwoman would be easy enough, but I would definitely want to lose some more weight before doing that. The Wicked Witch of the West would be fairly easy, too, but I would have to wear a ton of green make-up, so I'm not sure on that one. Then I thought of Lady Macbeth. I already have a Renaissance-ish dress, and I could buy a cheap red wig. Then I could put fake blood all over my hands, maybe a little on the dress. That would work, right? She certainly is a villain. But it wouldn't be easily recognizable. People would have to come up to me and ask who I am. Although, that could be kinda fun. When I was Juno for Halloween a couple years ago, a few people did come ask me who I was, and it was entertaining to watch their "Ooooohhhhh, I see it now" faces after telling them. Hmm...
In other news, this heat needs to end, or I just need to get over it. I haven't been going for walks at all lately because it's been "too hot" or I've been afraid of getting sunburned. Really, though, it's going to be a degree of hot any time of day, and I could wear that thing called sunscreen. I'm guaranteed to want to take a shower afterward regardless because I will get very sweaty. I need to just go do it. No more excuses. Maybe being Catwoman for Halloween is the goal I need as motivation to get into shape.
I still need to figure out who to I'm going to be. We talked a bit last night about me being Umbridge (from Harry Potter), but I'm not sure I want to go hunting for pink sweaters and wool skirts. Catwoman would be easy enough, but I would definitely want to lose some more weight before doing that. The Wicked Witch of the West would be fairly easy, too, but I would have to wear a ton of green make-up, so I'm not sure on that one. Then I thought of Lady Macbeth. I already have a Renaissance-ish dress, and I could buy a cheap red wig. Then I could put fake blood all over my hands, maybe a little on the dress. That would work, right? She certainly is a villain. But it wouldn't be easily recognizable. People would have to come up to me and ask who I am. Although, that could be kinda fun. When I was Juno for Halloween a couple years ago, a few people did come ask me who I was, and it was entertaining to watch their "Ooooohhhhh, I see it now" faces after telling them. Hmm...
In other news, this heat needs to end, or I just need to get over it. I haven't been going for walks at all lately because it's been "too hot" or I've been afraid of getting sunburned. Really, though, it's going to be a degree of hot any time of day, and I could wear that thing called sunscreen. I'm guaranteed to want to take a shower afterward regardless because I will get very sweaty. I need to just go do it. No more excuses. Maybe being Catwoman for Halloween is the goal I need as motivation to get into shape.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Free stuff!
Since Melinda and Sid are moving soon, they're getting rid of a lot of their stuff, but they're letting people they know have a look through everything before giving it to Goodwill. I went over there this afternoon and came home with quite a lot!
I got quite a few books, some that are classics I've been planning to read, some that just looked interesting. I got the 3 Lord of the Rings theatrical release DVDs (since I only have the extended versions) and the super fun Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit. I also got some random things, like a feather duster, some bookends, a couple CDs, and some mini margarita mixers. I love free stuff!
After that, I headed over to Chili's to have dinner with my ZooFriends coworkers. That was the first time I'd really hung out with any of them outside of work, and it was really fun! I definitely hope we keep doing it in the future. Yay for making friends!
Now I think I'll just chill on the couch and watch some more X-Men (the old animated series) on Netflix.
I got quite a few books, some that are classics I've been planning to read, some that just looked interesting. I got the 3 Lord of the Rings theatrical release DVDs (since I only have the extended versions) and the super fun Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit. I also got some random things, like a feather duster, some bookends, a couple CDs, and some mini margarita mixers. I love free stuff!
After that, I headed over to Chili's to have dinner with my ZooFriends coworkers. That was the first time I'd really hung out with any of them outside of work, and it was really fun! I definitely hope we keep doing it in the future. Yay for making friends!
Now I think I'll just chill on the couch and watch some more X-Men (the old animated series) on Netflix.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Fresh start
It's definitely been a while since I've written on here. Partly, I was busy last fall working at Blunck's Photography. While I earned lots of money there, I'm glad to be gone from there. I had no life while I was there, and I didn't much like it, either.
Now I have a super awesome job at the OKC ZooFriends office with super awesome coworkers. I'm also working some hours at the Edmond Public library as a library page, which is very low key. I find sorting things cathartic.
Another change is my boyfriend Colin. We started dating in February, and we've had a great time so far. This summer, he's been in Chicago working for his dad, and that's been really hard 'cause we haven't been able to see each other. But I did go visit for a week earlier this month. That was a blast--museums, Six Flags, yummy pizza. I'll be glad when he comes back to Oklahoma in August, though, even if he is in Tulsa.
I checked this book out from the library called Keeping a Journal You Love with tips about keeping a journal without getting bored of it, which is usually what happens to me. :P So maybe this time I'll be better about posting more regularly. We'll see!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)