Told You So

I told you didn't I?  I told you I was going to be horrible updating this blog!  The busy season is officially over for me at work so hopefully I'll be able to spend more time blogging.  Believe me, I've wanted to many times, just couldn't form my thoughts into words.

One of the things I've really learned moving 700 miles away from everyone I know is the value of friendship.  After graduation, making friends in the real world is more difficult that getting a job in this economy.  How do you make friends when you aren't in classes with them?  Do you really want to be friends with coworkers outside of work?  Is there a line you shouldn't cross?  I don't know.  The majority of my friends are coworkers.  We spend at least 40 hours a week together and we've seen each other in very stressful times.  We've seen each other at our peaks and our lows, how could we not become friends.  We rely a lot on each other in the office so it makes sense that we share parts of our lives with one another.

There's also another group of my friends who I met through the Penn State Alums in Chicago.  They're great.  Other than the small talk of "how's work going" it's nice to sometimes not talk about work.  We've also seen each other in good times and bad, whether it's mourning the loss of one of our role models or celebrating a football victory.  A lot of us also grew up within 30 minutes of each other so we reminisce about back home.

My friends mean the world to me.  I don't care if I've known you for 10 years or 10 days, I'll be there for you, frankly because I'd hope you'd be there for me.  My friends here are my family.  With the recent current events, I realized you really can't take every day for granted.  Enjoy the people you're with, you never know when you will see them again.  Tomorrow's not a guarantee.

Cornhuskin'

I gave you fair warning that I was going to be horrible at updating the blog in a normal time frame.  I promise after December 1st, I'll be better.

Two weekend's ago I made the 9 hour trek to Lincoln, NE for the PSU football game.  We were fueled by 90's pandora playlists, windmill farms and great company.  Once we arrived we checked into our hotel, freshened up and went out to see the bar scene in Lincoln.  It was great to be back in a college town with college prices.  When you can buy 4 shots & 4 beers for $21, you know it's going to be a great time.

We checked out the tailgating atmosphere surrounding the stadium and it was alright.  Definitely not like what I'm used to at Penn State, but what is?  You see, Beaver Stadium is surrounded by acres and acres of farm land, perfect for drunken times with friends who have become family.  One of the guys that met us from Denver had a ghetto blaster, which is a 90's style boom box controlled by your smartphone.  Genius idea.  I now want one.  Needless to say, we walked around Lincoln, carrying this sucker on our shoulder playing the appropriate music.  Everyone loved us.

Cornhusker fans and alumni are some of the nicest Big Ten fans I have ever met.  I only have great things to say about them.  If you ever find yourself in Nebraska, you will not be disappointed in their hospitality.  It's also a great stadium with great traditions.  Even though we did not come away with a win, I had a great time.

Thursday is Thanksgiving.  I'm lucky enough to be going back to NEPA to spend the holidays with my family.  I'm getting to that age where I can't take the holidays for granted.  Holidays are soon going to be spent with significant others and maybe the in laws.  Me being 700 miles away from all my family also isn't the easiest thing either.  But hey, that's the family of today.  Gone are the days where kids grew up, started their own families, and stayed in the same general area where they were raised.  We're nomads, life would be so boring if you didn't get out there and see the world.

Also - Iowa is a horrible state, there are more windmills that people - FACT.

Road Tripping!

Spontaneity - I don't have any.

I've always been a planner.  If I could have my entire life mapped out I would.  I mean I try to, but you know, it's life!  I don't think I've ever picked up and done anything without thoroughly looking into all options and taking time to figure everything out.  That's changing.

Last weekend I went to the PSU @ Purdue football game and had a blast.  It's only a 2.5 hour trip to West Lafayette so it was perfect for a little day trip.  We played bags, drank some Yuengling, and cheered on the Nittany Lions in a sell out crowd.  I had to drink every last drip of Yuengling.  I forgot how chilly November football games could get, but by Thanksgiving weekend I should have it down to a science.

This weekend when the opportunity presented itself to take a road trip to Lincoln, NE for the PSU game, it didn't take me more than 10 minutes to decide.  I was going.  Sure it's 4 days away so it's not completely spontaneous.  But this is from the girl who is already planning her retirement.  Friday afternoon we will begin the nearly 9 hour trip westward.  I'm so flipping excited.  I've never been to Nebraska but it appears they have a pretty kick ass gameday experience.  There's just so much tradition among the Big Ten schools, how could you not love it, unless of course you are an Ohio State fan.

I've been waiting to turn the clocks back for about a month.  Every morning that I wake up I immediately always thought "when do I get my extra hour."  Well do not fear E, you got your extra hour this past weekend.  Did I enjoy it?  No.  I woke up at 3am in a complete hangover fog.  I'm still not entirely sure it was 3am.  Maybe it was 2am or even 4.  The only best part about day drinking it, you can sleep off your hangover and wake up the next morning fine!

I'm still pissed I spent the extra hour of sleep hungover.  I won't get over this for about a year.

Earrings and Rings

Like every girl, I'm a huge fan of jewelry.  It all started when I received a baby bracelet for my baptism.  When I was in about 4th or 5th grade my mom started buying me a piece of gold jewelry each year for Christmas.  A lot of my first real pieces of jewelry had my initials or name on it.  As I got older I made the switch to silver and started buying myself necklaces and earrings to wear out with my friends.  As you can imagine since elementary school until now I have quite a lot of jewels!  Also being the only female in my family, I have inherited my grandmothers' heirlooms.  I never had an organized jewelry box for all that I've acclimated over the years.  My go to necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings are always scattered all over my dresser.  It was time for a change.

I went to Ikea a few weeks ago and picked up some black box thing that I could use.  I saw something similar on pinterest but couldn't find the exact thing.  After staring at my purchase taunt me on my kitchen counter every day, I finally buckled down tonight and organize my jems!  What a task for a Wednesday night.  It's not perfect, but it's better than what I have.  First I separated all the sets, rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and family heirlooms.  I'm keeping my family and sentimental jewelry separate from everything else.

My couch and coffee table were scattered with knotted jewelry, stay earring backs, and random silly bandz (oh yes I have everything from Tiffanys to silly bandz).

Who needs this many small fake studs?  Not this girl anymore.

If it was old or broken I ended up throwing it away, I had way too much.  Don't worry though, I didn't throw anything away of value.  I really need to figure out the easiest orderly way to keep earrings.  Studs can't just lay there, and hoops can't easily poke into a cork board. Pinterest should be able to help me out, I hope.

Oh and it's Halloween, I hate Halloween, but cheers from these guys.

Finally.

How many people start a blog but never update it?  Chances are, I'm going to be one of them. I've been meaning to start a blog for quite a few years now and it's time I did!  I'm E, a 20 something East Coast transplant living in Chicago.  I moved to Chitown about 2 years ago for a job at a small corporate communications company.  After working for that company for about a month I knew it wasn't for me. One day I'll go into more detail but many tears and panic attacks later, I knew I needed a change as this job was breaking me down.  Luckily a company that I have wanted to work for since college had an open position.  I applied and lived happily ever after - HA!  I'm currently working for a sports television network in the Remote Operations department.  Pretty much we are responsible for making sure all the sporting events make it onto your tv.  I love my job, I really do but some days I question humanity.

So that's me in a nutshell!

My blog isn't going to have a theme, it's going to be able me and the little tidbits I experience every day.

Although I still am not good at coloring in the lines, I like rules.
    1.  No real names will be used.
    2.  Only general comments about my job will be made.
    3.  I'm not here to hurt feelings.  If I say something that offends you, I'm sorry in advance.
    4.  No politics, just vote kids!

Hurricane Sandy is giving my dear east coast a beating right now.  I've been seeing pictures on my friends' facebook updates of buildings ripped apart and streets flooded, and Sandy's just beginning!  I hope everyone back home is safe and dry.  I bet my dad regrets selling his canoe!

I work some long hours sometimes, but this has lately become my favorite time of the day.  At about 6pm the office has already emptied and the sunset is bouncing off the buildings, sometimes blinding me at my cube.