Ten Reasons You Know You're Poor

So, recently I've begun thinking about money. People do that. People who just graduated who owe a lot of money do that. So I came up with a list. These are ten reasons you know you're poor. Or frugal. In either case, this list works.

These are all things that I have either done in the past, or I'm doing right now. Here goes.

1) You use your blow dryer as an iron.
     This doesn't work as well as you think it would. But it works if you're in a pinch!
 
2) You watch squirrels for entertainment.
     No lie. There are baby squirrels at my house and they are so playful! The other day when Zach came to pick me up, I was laughing as I got into the car. I had just seen a little baby squirrel try and jump over a car, only to do a faceplant into the door. He then fell onto the ground, stunned, and just laid there with all his limbs splayed out for a few seconds. 
 
3) You use your boyfriend as a chauffeur.
     Same day as the squirrels. He is good for something, at least. ;) 
 
4) You cut your own bangs and think they look good (they don't).
     Seriously, I would have to get my hair cut three times as often as I do if I wanted to have a professional cut my bangs. Refer to #10.
 
5) Your mattress is on the floor.
     As it has been for the past year or so. At least this time it's not an air mattress!
 
6) A trip to the playground a block away is considered an outing.
     There is a park down the street. It's nice. I've been there more than once.
 
7) You give plasma even though it's pretty sketchy.
     I don't do this anymore, but it was a good source of money while it lasted...and when I was eligible to donate. Towards the end, it wasn't even worth it to drive there when I was just going to get my finger pricked and then sent on my way.
 
8) You try to only buy food if you have a coupon for it or it's on sale.
    This is more of a frugal thing, but food is EXPENSIVE. Yeesh.

9) Your pantry size doubles after every trip home.
     I love it when my mother gives me food. She's wonderful. I always seem to come back with more stuff than I went home with, and most of it is food. Refer to #8.

10) You wash your hair BEFORE you get it cut so they don't charge you for it.
    Okay, seriously? They charge you to wash your hair now? The other day I got my hair cut and I washed my hair first. Saved 10 dolla. And that doesn't even cover what they charge you to style it as well. So. Haircuts are expensive as well.

And there's my little schpeal on how expensive everything is.

 

I'd balance 20 cookies on my head, too, if I knew I'd get to eat them afterwards.

Thankful

Today, I'm going to write about things I'm thankful for. Because there's a lot. And who says you have to wait until Thanksgiving to do that?

And so, without further ado, Laura's thankfulness list (as of 6/3/2010):

1) Sundays without homework (need I say more?).

2) Falling into a bed at night that is not an air mattress (even thought it is still on the floor).

3) Loving siblings:
      a) Rebecca- How can you not be thankful for a girl like this? One that sends you hilarious links to fun crafts or creepy LOTR fans that build replicas of Bag End or gives you the most adorable nieces ever?
      b) Matthew- With a big brother like this, who needs to know anything about computers when you can just ask him? He's been there when I need math help, when I need background checks done on roommates (I didn't ask him, he did it of his own accord), and to make me jealous by Skyping with me when Maggie looks adorable sitting up in a computer chair.
      c) Emily- She's been my inspiration for many things, from piano lessons when we were children to excelling in school to writing this blog. She's been there for me when I want to talk about anything, and I am sad she lives so far away, but glad she is building a new life there!

4) Gracious parents who let me pay them back for school instead of a mean old bank.

5) Cousins who let me say in their house and taking over their basements. Seriously, this couldn't have worked out better.

6) Last, but not least: ADORABLE NIECES. (AND #3 COMING IN NOVEMBER).

      a) Claire Elizabeth

      b) Natalie Jean

7) Okay, LAST: I'm thankful for the internet because it gives me things like this:

And there you have it. Only a few of the things that I am thankful for.

Oh, and I'm thankful for the man in my life. Probably should have put that sooner. ;)

About that time

Well...it's about that time. Actually, way past that time. I've been busy lately and haven't made posting on here a priority. Sorry to my millions thousands hundreds handful of followers. Nothing super interesting has happened to me lately except the infamous Senior Slide.

Urban Dictionary defines Senior Slide as "that magical part of your senior year when things get a little easier and nothing you do matters."

And boy, does everything that I do not seem to matter. I keep saying to myself, "will this matter in 5 years? Who is going to care about my opinion on the management practices of people in Malaysia or whether or not I come up with a fictitious General Mills product that 'succeeds'?" There have been countless days where I've had to drag myself out of bed and MAKE myself go to class that day- because in the end, does it really matter? I think of the hundreds of thousands of college kids that skip classes and still graduate.

But then I think about how I was raised. 

I was not raised as a slacker.

My parents taught me how to work hard. Even through all the kicking and screaming and tears and pouting and sulking (boy, was I good at sulking), they stuck with it and made sure I did what I was supposed to.

Sure, sometimes it stinks having to go to class every day - but let's face it...I had a pretty easy semester.

Then I think about The Boy, and how hard he works. Having him alongside me, working hard, motivates me to be better at all that I do. He is always encouraging me to be better, or finish strong, or he's there if I want to vent and get mad at people.

Sometimes, even with all of that, I still get apathetic.

Then I know who I can turn to. My friend Hannah has been there for me the past few years. She's been there at 3 in the morning studying for an Algebraic Structures or Real Analysis exam right alongside me. She has been there to chat with me when I get really depressed about the pile of homework I have waiting for me. She's been there when I am anxious about upcoming exams, papers, concerts, interviews, and special events. She's the Frodo to my Sam.

Sam: This is it.
Frodo: This is what?
Sam: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
Frodo: Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

So sorry for the sappy post. But I'm getting emotional about the school year ending and another chapter of my life beginning! And it's exciting.

Too much mushy stuff. Here's some funny pictures.

 

Happy Wednesday!

Resolution

Yes. I realize it's April. But I wanted to talk about New Year's resolutions. And I can do that because this is my blog.

A 2007 study by some dude at the University of Bristol showed that 88% of those who set New Year's resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the beginning. Side note: 52% is not very much...why even make a resolution if you're certain you're going to fail?

So many people have resolutions to lose weight, spend more time with their family, quit smoking, or save money. While these are all very advantageous lifestyle changes, I wanted to make mine one that challenged me, but wasn't overused. Sure, I'll still work on all those other things (minus quitting smoking- no need for that one!), but my New Year's Resolution was something that I thought of on my own:

Make someone smile every day. 

So far, I've succeeded. It may be something as simple as telling someone I like their hair that day, swhoing someone a hilarious picture of a baby hippo kissing someone, or just giving someone a hug when they need it most.

Making people smile makes me smile, and that, my friends, is a good thing.

Here's your wonderfully fun picture for they day! I hope it makes you smile!

I feel like this all the time.

And just because I love you, here's another one. I saw it and it reminded me of the time my sister posted it because she had to keep telling her daughter, "No, you need pants to go outside."

Twins

Now, I'm not a huge Minnesota Twins fan...

But I like them as much as the next gal. Especially when the team consists of so much eye candy.

Last week Friday, The Boy took me to our first twins game of the season! (I say of the season because he has season tickets and we shall have many more adventures to Target Field this summer) Before we left my house, he gave me a present!

Isn't it beautiful??

I wish I had taken more pictures, because Target Field truly is a beautiful stadium.

Our seats weren't right behind the dugout by any means, but I don't think there is a "bad" seat in the place. Plus, it's right by the bathrooms! And we all know how tiny of a bladder I have. 

But it was cold. So i rarely took my hands out of my pockets. And rainy. So I had my hood up the entire time. And the Twins lost. But none of that mattered cause I was in great company. :)

He really did have a good time.

And now, your picture of the day! Pretty sure this is what Maggie is like when she has to take a bath...

Up to.

What have I been up to lately?

Seems like there too much to mention. One of the easiest ways is to take a look at my phone photos and those will tell you where I've been.

That is, assuming I even take pictures of stuff I do.

Most of the time I forget.

I'll try and remember most of it now, then we'll see where the photography takes us.

Since choir tour, I've had a concert, gone home for Easter break, paid my taxes (SO MUCH MONEYS), got new tires put on Lola, and brought my dog back with me to Minnesota (hopefully my mom doesn't miss her too much)! I got to spend time with family (my sister and her husband came home from Illinois!), lots of time with friends, and got to play the piano.

I asked my mother if the next time I came home, could she please have the piano tuned? It almost wasn't worth it to play...but I couldn't help myself. I brought back a stack of books with me so that I can play them here! There are practice pianos here at school as well as a piano at The Boy's house. He says he likes to listen to me play...we'll see what he says later! ;)

I don't think I've ever had so many people ask me what I was doing with my life after graduation. At least this time around I have a plan for this summer... As for after that...

I registered for a virtual career fair in the beginning of May, so we shall see what comes out of that. I also sent an email to a company concerning a data analyst position they had open- I asked them when that position was open, and/or if it was filled already. That'd be an ideal job this fall.

And now...the photos. Most of them are boring. But whatevs.

We had lettuce growing on our dining room table. This was a weird sight...

I'd forgotten how much I missed my Rubik's cube! I brought it back with me.

Saturday morning we were talking about phones and apps and games, etc... So they're all sitting on the furniture messing with their smartphones and...

Mom felt a little left out. So she pretended to have GREAT FUN on her 'dumb' phone. HILARIOUS.

 Side note. Dad was playing a motorcycle game on his phone when my mom texted him. Before he could receive the text, Dad gave the phone to Brett so he could play the game. Little did mom know that when you are playing the game, the phone automatically reads the text out loud.

HA.

"Do you really have to do that right now, dear?"

HA.

Mom and I made a BUNCH of cards this weekend. This was one of my favorites!

Back at The Homestead with Maggie! She loves it here!

I already posted this on Facebook, but....It's still true. Graduation. One month. Oh boy.

Here's your photo of the day! If you'd like to see the rest of the funny underwater dogs, here's the link: http://flashsolver.com/2012/04/01/funny-underwater-dogs/

They're hilarious and look slightly insane.



Question: If you had to make a new cereal...what would it be? Not something on the market now, and it can be a continuation of a General Mills cereal.

Likeable

The Boy asked me yesterday why I was so likeable. I had gone with him to a dinner for his grandma and met some extended family earlier that evening, and had met some of his friends the night before.

"What is it about you that makes people, my friends, your friends, Bethel Choir, DP, my parents, my friends, my family, and me like you so much?"

I didn't know what to tell him.

I never really thought of myself as being likeable, though. I was called a bunch of names through elementary school, I always seemed to have the wrong clothes, the wrong haircut, I was too smart, I'm constantly correcting people (I'm really trying to get better, though!), etc.

But then he waited for an answer, so I knew I had to say something.

After thinking about it for a while, I decided it was because I try to shy away from conflict. I don't like it, and so I try not to have a lot of negativity around me. Or maybe people like me because I try to see the best in them all the time. Or it could possibly be because... I actually have no idea.

But I'm very glad people do. Especially The Boy.

Here's your picture of the day! Enjoy!